Child Safety Seats

The law states that all the children travelling in auto vehicles should use the right child safety seats according to their age and size and until they reach the age of 12 or grows 135 centimetres in height. After this, they should use the adult seat belt.

It is the responsibility of the driver to take accountability of the child and ensure that children below 14 years of age are correctly restrained to avoid car accidents. The driver must make sure that children sitting in the front seat are wearing the right safety belts. It is unlawful to carry child in the rear facing seat in front that is shielded though the active frontal airbag. It is the legal responsibility of the driver to make sure that the child is restrained correctly.

Other than cars, drivers of various vehicles like buses, coaches, goods vehicles and minibuses who are carrying children with them should ensure that there are child safety seats in their vehicles. The driver must ensure that the children below the age of three years are using the correct child restraint. They should also consider whether the children between the age group of 3 to 11 years and less than 1.35 meters exercise the right safety belt or child restraint. Similarly, they should check for the children of 12-13 years as well.

Legal penalties

In case if you are caught that there is a child with you while you are driving and you and the child are not wearing child safety belt or the child is not sitting at the child safety seat, you could be charged fine of about £500.

Being a driver, if you fail to ensure that the child travelling along you is using the incorrect child safety seats, any kind of claim can be charged upon your auto insurance cover.

In addition, you can also go through the civil proceeding for car accidents or damage, if you get unsuccessful to carry someone else’s kid.

Obviously compensation claims can be very complicated and it would be unwise to attempt to pursue a claim without professional assistance which should be provided by a solicitor with expertise in this field. Excalibur Solicitors is a specialist personal injury practice dealing with all types of injury claims such as road accidents, accidents at work, accidents in public places, medical negligence. If you have been injured in the last three years and require advice on your potential compensation claim we can provide a free legal assessment of your case if you complete our Application Form. We operate on a "No Win No Fee" basis at no cost to you.

The information in this article is designed to provide general information only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice.