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“Ban the Booster” campaign launched by child car seat manufacturer (9 July 2014)

Date: 09/07/2014
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, “Ban the Booster” campaign launched by child car seat manufacturer

Car child seat manufacturer Britax has launched a campaign to urge parents not to use booster seats in cars, over fears their use could result in injury to children.

The child car seat maker manufactures car seats for children up to the age of 12 years. However, in research conducted by the manufacturer, 49% of child car seat arrangements for children aged four to 12 were found to be potentially dangerous, with a risk of causing injury to a child.

Britax has launched a Bin the Booster campaign to alert parents to the dangers of using booster seats for children in cars.

In the UK, parents are legally required to fit some type of child car seat until a child reaches the height of 135cm or the age of 12 – at 135cm, an adult seatbelt should fit correctly.

However, booster seats were found to provide inadequate protection to children involved in side impact collisions, including a lack of protection from head injuries in side impact collisions.

The company references research conducted by consumer champion Which? whose own research found that high-backed child car safety seats offered improved protection, compared with booster seats for children.

Britax launched its campaign Ban the Booster on Monday (07/07/14), in collaboration with parent and pregnancy advice website Emma’s Diary. The week-long campaign involves a Q&A session on the Emma’s Diary Facebook page.

Britax is also claiming that its own research has found that some car seatbelts are not fitted correctly – adding to the risk of children or passengers being injured in car crashes.

In the UK, the law states that children aged under three years must travel in a car child safety seat – although there are circumstances in which older children may be able to travel without one, including children over three years who may travel in the back seat of a car which does not have a child car seat or a seatbelt fitted.

Other exemptions include taxis and minicabs, in which children under three years can travel with a child car seat or seatbelt if they travel on the back seat of the vehicle.

Children over the age of three years can travel in a private hire vehicle with a car child safety seat if they wear an adult seatbelt for the journey. A child over three years can also travel in a car without a child safety seat if they wear an adult seatbelt and if the journey complies with all three of the following conditions:

  • For a short distance

  • Necessary

  • Unexpected


UK law on child car safety seats stipulates they must bear the EU safety logo (capital E in a circle) – and parents must also ensure the child car safety seat is the right size for their baby or child. The details about sizing are available at GOV.UK.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – Accidents Involving Children

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of personal injury solicitors and can advise parents whose children sustain injuries as a result of faulty equipment – such as child car safety seats, seatbelts, cots, roller blind cords and toys – on how to make a no win no fee personal injury claim.

Children’s personal injury claims can be made for up to three years after the child reaches 18. Parents and guardians or a personal injury solicitor can act as a child’s “litigation friend” to represent them if a personal injury claim is made while the child is still a minor.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee claims for Accidents Involving Children, contact Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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