Booster seat warning issued by Road Safety Team

Parents in Milton Keynes are being urged to check whether they may need a booster seat for their child in the car.

The council’s Road Safety Team has issued the alert to comply with the UK law - which requires all children under the age of 12 years, and less than 135cm in height, to use a booster seat.

A recent report from the Good Egg Safety group suggests that one third of children in the ‘older children’ category - aged eight to 11 years - may not be using a booster seat.

Not only is it a legal requirement for children to use a booster seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm, whichever comes first, but equally importantly seat belts are designed for adults and not suited to a child’s anatomy.

“Every parent’s strongest instinct should be to protect their children,” said Nigel Spencer, Road Safety Officer for Milton Keynes Council.

“The legislation is there to ensure that booster seats provide the level of protection that children’s smaller bodies need in the event of a crash, and it has been recognised now that these seats are needed for longer than previously thought.”