Responsible adults have always ensured that children in their care have been belted into baby or child seats and, as children have got bigger, transferred to booster cushions. Caring adults have recently been horrified, therefore, to discover that many children sustain serious injury each year as a result of not being belted correctly. New laws have tried to rectify this by making it compulsory for all babies up to the age of three years to be carried in a baby seat. Children aged between three and 12 years are now required to use child seats and booster cushions. If a child reaches the height of 135cms before they reach the age of 12 years, then they do not have to use a booster cushion, however, they still must use an adult safety belt.

The key to ensuring a child is belted in correctly is to make sure the safety belt lies in the correct position; the diagonal section of a safety belt must lie across the wearer’s shoulder and never across the face or throat. The lap section must lie across the hips and never across the stomach. If the belt does not lie correctly, then the chances are that the child is not ready to travel without the booster cushion.

It should be noted that around 10,000 children sustain injury in the UK each year as a direct result of not wearing safety belts. About 2,500 of these are apportioned to coaches and buses. As many as 20% of injuries to children will be permanent and in the region of 500 injuries will be critical. Sadly, as many as 200 children will die. For many parents and grandparents, who thought they were managing the children’s transport arrangements safely, it has come as a shock to now find out that in many cases, the restraint system used was not as safe as they had believed.

Top: Safety belts worn correctly; and above, safety belts worn incorrectly

Incorrectly worn belts or inappropriate child seats can put children at risk. It is therefore essential that adults understand clearly how belts should be worn and how safety equipment such as baby and child seats must also be installed. Baby and child seats should never be used in the front seat of a vehicle where an air bag is fitted unless the air bag has been de-activated.

For passengers travelling in buses and coaches, where belts are fitted, these belts must now be worn. This new law also applies to the driver of a bus or coach. The crazy thing is, that only those passengers aged 14 years and over are compelled in law to belt up, so for all the children under 14, they can remain unprotected until the lawmakers decide how best to include them in this legislation.

This subject will continue to upset parents who have children travelling on school coaches where some pupils will obviously have to belt up whilst, sitting next to them, they may have a younger pupil who does not. Education authorities will have their work cut out for them as they are responsible for the safe journey of a pupil on board any vehicle they contract and most parents will expect the local authority to ensure belts are worn by their children! In respect of taxis, the new laws surrounding the use of baby/child seats and booster cushions do not apply, so, if a child is carried in a taxi, they must use the adult belt even if it does not fit correctly. For unplanned journeys, for instance, a parent arrives at school and finds a friend’s child stranded and offers them a lift, this will be classed as an “emergency journey” and the law need not be applied. However, if the parent regularly picks up another parent’s child from school, the law will apply.

Transport operators of minibuses, buses and coaches will be exempt from the new regulations that require the provision and use of baby/child seats or booster cushions, but it would be lamentable for a local authority to view this as a way of avoiding ensuring children were properly and safely protected on vehicles contracted by them. And so, the debate will no doubt continue until further legislation comes in forcing all passengers of all ages to wear belts in all vehicles no matter what!

For further information about legislative issues for safety belts, or general safety surrounding the transportation of children and young people, contact BUSK on: Tel: 01633 274944 - E-mail: buskuk@aol.com

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