A good child safety seat provides peace of mind and above all guarantees your child’s safety on the roads.

A child safety seat otherwise known as a child restraint system is effectively secured to the seat of your car and kitted out with an appropriate security harness. Should your car become involved in a road accident, you can rest assured that the utmost safety precautions have been taken.

If possible, a child’s car safety seat should be placed in the rear seat but it can be placed in the front as long as the seat is firm. Many cars now have front passenger seat airbags, which have been proven problematic for a child placed here on occasion. This said, front passenger airbags are now fitted with small children in mind and now take into consideration child restraint systems placed in the front seat.

What of booster seats? These are recommended in the event that a child is not big enough to properly wear a seatbelt. Generally constructed for adults, the seatbelt system in a car is far too big for small children and so it is essential to use a booster seat. However it is generally ruled that children aged four years or under ought to use a five points harness rather than a booster seat.

The children who should wear a booster seat are aged under twelve years of age and measure less than four feet five inches. For maximum safety, a booster seat should be used that is appropriate for the child’s weight. A booster seat should be worn until the child is four feet eleven inches and no less according to the law.

Does your child need a booster seat? Your child may no longer need a booster seat if either he or she is able to sit comfortably back against the seat, if the seatbelt fits comfortably across the shoulder between the arm and neck. Additionally, your child may no longer need a booster seat if he or she is able to sit comfortably back in the seat the whole journey and if the lap section of the seatbelt touches his or her thighs.

While child safety is a consideration wherever you happen to drive, child car safety is enforceable by law in some countries. To satisfy the child safety regulations within these countries the general rule of thumb to apply is that a form of safety device (such as a child’s car safety seat) must be used that is dependant upon the age and weight of that child.

Drive carefully and be safe.