Child car seat safety checks at Kingswood fire station next week

Kingswood fire station in Tenniscourt Road is hosting another child car seat safety check for families next week.

Firefighters will be joined on Tuesday by South Gloucestershire Council’s road safety team, and representatives from Mothercare, Britax and the police.

Between 10am and 3.30pm people will be able to drop into the station, have their child safety seats checked, and talk to experts about how to pick the correct seat for their vehicle.

This event follows a similar one in May where faults were found in 80 per cent of car seats checked. The issues identified by staff from retailer Mothercare and car seat maker Britax included twisted belts, headrests in the incorrect position and fasteners not connected.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service station manager at Kingswood, Matt Peskett, said: “Figures suggest that a child is 90 per cent less likely to be killed in a collision if they are properly restrained.

“As an emergency service we respond to road traffic collisions and all too often witness the devastating effects of these types of incidents, so we hope this event will help ensure families in our area are as safe as possible when travelling on the roads.”

The road safety team will also be providing eye checks for drivers and police will carry out road hazard perception tests.