Peterborough child seat campaign launched to coincide with national initiative

Road safety officers at Peterborough City Council have launched a campaign to reminded parents and child carers of the important factors they should consider when buying and fitting child car seats. The campaign ties in with the current DTLR campaign on the same subject.

As part of the campaign, advice leaflets have been distributed to local retailers of car seats and local health centres to coincide with national advertising in specialist magazines including Mother & Baby, Practical Parenting, Chat, Take a Break, Bella and Woman's Own.

"Our advice is that the best way to reduce the risk of a child becoming injured in an accident is to always use a properly fitted, purpose made child car seat," says David Frost, road safety team manger for the city council. "Often parents do the right thing by buying a good car seat
but then fit it incorrectly. A major area of concern is that sometimes parents fit a rear facing child seat in the front of the car when an airbag is fitted. Even in a low-speed impact the bag could deploy and cause a serious or fatal injury to the baby."

According to Peterborough City Council, some 60 children were hurt in the city during 2001 while travelling in cars - the equivalent of in excess of one every week.

For further information about this story please contact:-
David Frost, MSc, MIRSO
Road Safety Team Manager
Environmental & Legal Services
Peterborough City Council
Bridge House
Town Bridge
PETERBOROUGH
PE1 1XG
tel 0173 345 3499
fax 0870 238 8026
email david.frost@peterborough.gov.uk