The Scottish Good Egg In-Car Child Safety Initiative has developed a new free app which offers parents advice about buying and fitting child car seats.
The app has been launched as a new survey by the Good Egg Initiative reveals that 50% of parents who were questioned had not been shown how to correctly fit a new child car seat at the time of purchase. The survey also reveals that 10% of respondents were not confident about their ability to fit a child car seat safely. The Good Egg Safety App has been developed in an attempt to combat these problems.
In 2011, the Good Egg campaign checked 1,827 seats in Scotland and found that 48% were either incorrectly fitted or were incompatible with either the vehicle or the child. Furthermore, road casualty statistics published last week by Transport Scotland showed that in 2011 five children were killed while travelling as passengers.
Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, said: “It is very disappointing to find that many retailers are still not providing basic safety information when selling child car seats. I strongly urge parents and carers to visit one of the in-car child safety clinics so they can be confident their children are safely restrained.”
Superintendent Alan Duncan, lead officer for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) national campaigns, added: “We are still finding children who are either not wearing seatbelts or who are restrained by unsuitable or incorrectly-fitted car seats.
“We fully support the Good Egg Campaign which helps to educate drivers about their responsibilities in relation to in-car child safety and provides sound practical advice to ensure children are kept safe whilst on the move.”
The 2012 Good Egg campaign also launches today (25 June), with 54 free in-car child safety clinics across Scotland over the next three months.
The free app can be downloaded from the new-look Good Egg campaign website.
Good Egg Guides will also be freely available for parents from local road safety units and NHS Boards across Scotland, and information leaflets and posters will be distributed to doctors’ surgeries.
For more information contact Jan Deans (07980 851360) or Peta Comfort (07595 821341).
Had an interesting conversation at the weekend regarding people not being shown how to fit car seats at the point of sale.
Michael, Edinburgh
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This is a great campaign and the Guide was well used in my house when my son was smaller. Now sharing the info with nieces and nephews who are having kids of their own.
Mike, North Lanarkshire
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As a confused Dad of 2 this is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks very much!
Chris Midlothian
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