A pioneering partnership between West Yorkshire Vision Zero, Good Egg Safety CIC and TyreSafe has highlighted the importance of taking a Safe System approach to protecting children and families on the region’s roads.
The first joint community safety event, held in Bradford, combined free child car seat checks with tyre safety advice, helping families improve two of the most important factors influencing road safety: occupant protection and vehicle safety.
The event revealed that 73% of child restraints checked required adjustment or correction, reinforcing national concerns that many children are not receiving the level of protection intended by manufacturers in the event of a collision.
Parents and carers received practical support from Good Egg Safety experts, with common issues including loose harnesses, incorrect belt routing, poorly adjusted headrests and other installation errors being addressed.
The tyre safety checks revealed a number of vehicles requiring attention, with issues including under-inflated tyres, insufficient tread depth and visible tyre damage identified during the event. These findings reinforce the importance of regular tyre maintenance and highlight that many road users remain unaware of safety-critical defects that can significantly increase collision risk.
Together, the child seat and tyre safety findings demonstrate why a Safe System approach is so important. While correctly fitted child restraints help protect children in the event of a collision, safe and roadworthy tyres play a critical role in helping drivers avoid collisions altogether.
The event forms part of a wider programme of 50 free child car seat checking events being delivered across West Yorkshire through funding provided by West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership.
In parallel with the community activity, Good Egg Safety and TyreSafe launched a national radio awareness campaign promoting the message: ‘The right child seat, correctly fitted to the child and vehicle, helps protect a child in a crash. Safe tyres help reduce the chance of that crash happening at all’.
The campaign reached more than 45 million listeners through 134 radio stations across the UK, helping raise awareness of two critical road safety issues affecting families every day.
Alison Lowe OBE, chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: “We are focused on our goal of eliminating road death and serious injury by 2040.
“The partnership between Good Egg Safety and TyreSafe is an important step in achieving this and has the potential to be lifesaving. We are pleased to support this initiative and I would encourage everyone across the region to take advantage of the checks, which are completely free.”
Janis James MBE, chief executive of Good Egg Safety CIC, said: “Child seat safety and tyre safety are often considered separately, however both are critical to protect families. One helps protect a child in a collision, while the other can help prevent the collision from happening in the first place. This partnership demonstrates how organisations can work together to strengthen the Safe System approach and support the Government’s ambition to reduce child deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
Stuart Lovatt, chair of TyreSafe, added: “Every journey starts with the vehicle. Correct tyre pressures, sufficient tread depth and tyres in good condition are fundamental to road safety. Combining tyre safety with child occupant protection creates a powerful opportunity to engage families and deliver practical advice that could save lives.”
Further free child car seat checking events will take place across West Yorkshire throughout the year.
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