RSA's 'check it fits' initiative returning to Waterford

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has announced that's returning to Waterford with its free 'Check it Fits' service which is specifically aimed at ensuring child car seats are correctly fitted.

According to the RSA over half of child car seats (54%) are incorrectly fitted nationwide and almost a third seats fitted incorrectly needed major adjustments.

If a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

A spokesperson for the RSA said the face-to-face seat checking service, 'Check It Fits' - will visit different areas around the country and will be in Waterford on June 3, 4 and 5.

"Car seats may seem simple to install, but the installation is often easy to get wrong," said the spokesperson.

"We know parents are not intentionally putting children in danger and it is an education issue," she added.

Ron Richardson, Check it Fits Lead Checker for the RSA also commented on the matter and said: "While the RSA’s experience with its Check it Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, worryingly, it found that 30% of these needed a major adjustment to fix them."

"For example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective," he said.

Mr Richardson said 67% were minor adjustments such as the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt. 

"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," he said.

"I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits service when it comes to County Waterford and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely," he added.

The service takes between 10 to 15 minutes and runs from 10am – 5.30pm. It will be free of charge and once completed will offer parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car.

It will also be a walk-in service with no appointment needed.

"It is important to use your child car seat correctly every single time during a car journey so parents should regularly check the fitting of your child car seat or get it rechecked at a Check it Fits service," said the RSA spokesperson.

"For example, if you got your child car seat fitted in winter, now coming into the summer months, you may need to tighten the harness as your children are wearing lighter clothes," she added.

"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," she added.

The Check It Fits service in Waterford will take place at Garvey's SuperValu, Dungarvan on June 3, at Smyth's Toys, Ivory Retail Park on June 4 and at Waterford Retail Park on June 5.

For more information on Check it Fits visit www.rsa.ie/checkitfits.