Extra mile

Your online magazine from Kwik Fit insurance

Online bargains put child car safety at risk

Child seat

There are bargains a-plenty to be had on online auction sites such as ebay, but there’s one thing you should steer clear of – and that’s second-hand child car seats.

Why? Because it’s simply not possible to know if they have been damaged in an accident – or if they are designed to current safety standards.

At time of going to press, ebay was advertising over 600 big brand child car seats and accessories, with current bids as low as 99p. But saving some cash – which is very tempting in the today’s tough economic times – could mean putting your child’s life at risk. With a second-hand car seat, it’s impossible to know if it is still functioning properly and doesn’t have any hidden faults, which means that you could be strapping your child into a seat that provides little or no protection.

RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) has a brilliant guide on choosing and using child car seats. Top tips include:

  • Doing plenty of research online and in-store to see what ranges are available before deciding which seat is most suitable for your child and your car
  • Contacting the child seat manufacturer to check if the seat will fit your car
  • Choosing a retailer who will help you try the seat in your car before you buy it
  • Checking the seat meets the United Nations standard Regulation 44.04 or 44.03 (44.04 is the latest, although seats marked with 44.03 are also still available) and carries the ‘E’ mark

For lots more advice, visit childcarseat.org

Back

Like it? Bookmark it...