The most important thing to remember about child car restraints is that the restraint is only effective if used correctly. The most common things we here at our workshops are:
“But I had my restraint fitted last year by a professional – why do I need to check it?”
“My child is so clever they can get themselves in and out of the car seat on their own”
“I know my car seat is in correctly as I give it a bit of a shake every now and then”
The important thing to remember it that child restraints move when a car brakes, accelerates quickly, children get in and out, when you ‘test’ it with a shake and when the vacuum cleaner goes underneath. They need to be checked regularly to ensure they are positioned correctly.
Unlike walking and talking, getting in and out of a child restraint is not a milestone. It is important to ensure the restraint is used correctly – can you really put the life of your child in their own hands?
A daily check list
- Is the seat belt buckle connected?
- Is the seat belt adjusted correctly
- Is there any twist or slack in the harness
- Is the angular aspect OK?
- Is there any slack in the upper tether strap?
- Are there any loose items that might hurt your child?
Weekly checklist
- Has your child outgrown their restraint?
- Are your child’s shoulders above the strap slots?
- Do the inserts effect safe harness adjustment?
Eleni Mitakos is from Galmatic. Galmatic is an all Australian company, with a strong passion for empowering women to take the driver’s seat when it comes to cars, driving and the road safety of their family and friends. For more details on Galmatic visit www.galmatic.com
__small.png)
