What is the law on child car seats?

• In the UK, a child must sit in a car seat until they are either 135cm tall or 12 years old, whichever comes first
• For kids over 135cm in height or older than 12, wearing a seatbelt like an adult is sufficient
• For children who do require a car seat, you can select which seat is appropriate based on their height or weight (more about car seat
categories below)
• Children MUST travel in rear-facing car seats until they are 15 months old
• Once your child reaches 15 months old, it should be safer to mount their car seat facing forward, as their neck will be stronger
• You must never fit a rear-facing child seat in the front of your car if there’s an active passenger airbag
• It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that children under the age of 14 years are restrained correctly as per the law
• Since Feb 2017, manufacturers are no longer allowed to produce backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm or weighing
less than 22kg – seats with backs are deemed safer as they offer improved side impact protection

Which car seat is legally required for my child?

It’s key to check that the seat you are buying is EU-approved for use in the UK – just look for a label with a capital “E” in a circle.

Furthermore, there are two categories of seats:

• Those that are manufactured to the latest EU standard ECE R129, known as i-Size and are based on a child’s height

• Those manufactured under the EU standard ECE R44-04, which are weight-based

Please note that only EU-approved car seats can be used in the UK.

Should I buy a second-hand car seat?

While it can certainly be much cheaper to buy a second-hand car seat, do proceed with caution.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents recommends that you avoid buying a second-hand car seat altogether, even from people you trust, as you don’t know if it’s been involved in an accident. You may not be intentionally misled by an unknown seller or a trusted friend, but minor damage can easily be forgotten or overlooked and still affect the safety of the car seat.

If you proceed with buying one second-hand, make sure you check the following before agreeing to a purchase:

• Examine it carefully for damage (do note that not all damage is visible to the human eye)
• Check that the seat has the ‘E’ mark and meets either the United Nations standard 44.04 or the i-Size standard (R129)
• Try the seat in your car – if you cannot fit it securely, do not buy it
• Make sure the seat is suitable for your child’s weight and height
• Check the manufacturer’s advice about how old the seat should be before it needs replacing
• Ensure the manufacturer’s instructions are available

When can children legally travel without a car seat?

In the UK, children must be restrained in a car seat until they are 12 years old or at least 135cm tall. From that point onwards they must use a seat belt like all adults.

Exceptions to this law include:

• A child can travel via taxi or mini-cab without a car seat if the driver doesn’t provide one. They must wear a seat belt
• Similar for coaches and minibuses. They must travel in the rear seats and use seat belts
• If you are making a short-distanced and unexpected journey, it is legally acceptable to restrain your child with just a seat belt instead of
a child car seat, providing your child is 3 years or older
• Children with special or additional needs or medical conditions will have bespoke requirements outside of normal laws. It is usual for
them to be restrained by means designed for their needs

What can I do if I need to get a taxi and I don’t have a car seat available?

If the taxi driver doesn’t provide the correct car seat, children are ok to travel without one, as long as they travel in the back seat.

• Child aged 3 or more must wear an adult seatbelt

• Can travel without a seatbelt if under 3

What happens if I break car seat laws?

Failure to ensure your child is in the correct car seat could result in you getting a £500 fine and the driver receiving up to 3 penalty points on
their licence. In turn, this could result in pushing up your car premiums as car insurers might perceive you as being a higher risk.

What if my car seat is stolen or damaged?

If you have been unfortunate enough to have had your car seat stolen or your vehicle has been involved in an accident, you might be able to can claim on your vehicle insurance policy.

Not all car insurance policies include this type of cover, even with fully comprehensive policies, so you might want to consider this when shopping around for cover.

Even insurers that do pay out for a claim don’t offer the same level of cover across the board, with as many as half of insurers only offering a full reimbursement.

What should I look for to ensure my car seat is properly installed?

If the seatbelt or harness is loose, twisted or appears to sit incorrectly across your child, make sure that you correct the placement before you head off. During the autumn and winter months, it’s best to remove your child’s bulky coat before adjusting the slack as the thickness of the material can leave the harness too loose to be effective in an accident.

Additional child car seat checks are:

• Is your child too small for the seat? If in any doubt, don’t move them to a larger seat until you’ve sought advice from a fitting expert
• If you’ve adjusted the seat’s headrest because your child has grown, ensure that the harness has been correctly routed back into place
• If you’re using a travel system seat with a carry handle, please remember to put it back to the correct position after putting your child in the seat
• If you’re using a seat that is suitable for a wide age range, do check it regularly for wear and tear, as it doesn’t necessarily stay safe for many years
• If you’re using a car seat with leg support, please check that the leg is fitted firmly to the car’s floor and that it’s at a 90-degree angle to the floor and not resting on an underfloor storage compartment – unless this has been filled with a car manufacturer-approved filler
• Do not secure a high-back booster with the car’s headrest – this needs to be moved out of the way to ensure the child seat sits flush with the car seatbelt
• If you’re using an Isofix seat, check that it’s properly clipped in. Indicators on the seat will change from red to green when it’s fitted correctly