Officers from Transport for Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley Police were out during Global Road Safety Week advising motorists on the importance of making sure children are safely strapped into the correct car seats.
The team visited Millbrook School and Asda supermarket in High Wycombe during the week (4 – 10 May) to hand out information and offer advice.
During one morning they spoke to 60 parents and carers at the two venues giving out key safety messages on the correct fitting of seatbelts and children’s car seats.
A large number of seats were found to be incorrectly fitted: straps were not secured tightly enough, were twisted, or the child had slipped them off. Not wearing a seatbelt or not using it correctly can be a fatal decision, even on short, familiar journeys and at low speed.
Mike Freestone, Buckinghamshire County Council Director of Transport Services said: 'The importance of this campaign cannot be emphasised enough, given that every day more than 500 children are killed on the world’s roads and many thousands more are injured.
'I'm really grateful for the partnership working we have here to spread this vital safety message.'
Mike said there were many free resources available to schools and clubs, and he urged parents and carers to look at these to help keep young people safe on the roads.
Peter Hare, Road Safety Constable for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes said: 'I would like to stress that the seat must be appropriate for the age and size of the child. It must be securely fixed with the straps hugging the child, not allowing them to remove their arms from the straps. I would also recommend not wearing thick clothing as this allows them to slip out of the belts and if it is cold, cover them and the seat, rather than wrapping them within the seat. Please take the time to ensure your loved one is securely strapped in their seat, because in a crash that’s the safest place for them to be.'
Global Road Safety Week information:
http://www.who.int/roadsafety/week/2015/en/
Free Child Road safety Resources:
http://www.roadsafetygb.org.uk/pages/roadsafetyweek/rsw-resources.html
Information on the law and fitting car seats:
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules
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