The 10,000th parent(s) to the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) free child car seat checking service, Check it Fits, was celebrated today in SuperValu Ratoath, Co. Meath. Jonathan Mooney and Elaine Brilley parents of baby Oran Mooney were the lucky recipients of a baby hamper.
Since the service began operating full time in October 2013, over 14,000 child car seats have been checked. The ‘Check it Fits’ Service provides a nationwide practical, expert checking service for parents, guardians and grandparents to ensure their child is safe and secure when travelling in the car. In 2014, 4,440 parents availed of the service, and to date in 2015, the service has had 4,500 visitors with 13 locations still to visit before the end of 2015.
Almost 2 out of 5 children killed in road collisions in Ireland are passengers. Furthermore, Garda reports into collisions in 2014 indicate that 1 in 10 children were not wearing a seatbelt or using a child restraint. Research from the RSA indicates that as many as 4 out of 5 child car seats are incorrectly fitted which means that it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision. The RSA’s advice is to choose a child car seat that is suitable for your child’s weight and height, as well as compatible with the car, to and always get it fitted by an expert.
Moyagh Murdock, CEO of the RSA said: “This is a fantastic milestone for the ‘Check it Fits’ Service. We are delighted that parents are taking the time to avail of this service and ensure their children are travelling safely in the car. We would always advise parents to get their child’s car seat fitted by an expert and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely. We would also advise parents to check the label on their car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s weight and height, to make sure your seat is firmly installed in the car, and to always ensure that your child’s harness is fitted snugly for every trip.”
The Check it Fits service generally takes between 10 and 15 minutes and is free of charge. If your child’s car seat or restraint is incorrectly fitted, the ‘Check it Fits’ experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have to avoid potential serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision. Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car.
The RSA is encouraging people to visit the ‘Check it Fits’ service when it comes to their area. The RSA has also developed a series of videos on child safety in cars which are available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi8nqrsVU6hsNBdXL153TtcM_iqnzq5bS
To find out when the service will be visiting your area check out the dates on www.rsa.ie/checkitfits or on Twitter @RSAIreland or Facebook www.facebook.com/RSAIRELAND
