Parents put children at risk by not knowing in-car safety laws, study claims

'Children are one of the most vulnerable road users - no matter how they travel'

37 per cent of parents surveyed said they had driven with someone else’s kid as a passenger despite not having a suitable child restraint for them (Paul Davey / SWNS.com)

Parents put other children's lives at risk when giving them a lift - because they're not safely strapping them in, a poll has found.

Researchers who surveyed 2,000 mums and dads found 37 per cent had driven with someone else’s child as a passenger, despite not having a suitable child restraint for them.

Fifty-seven per cent admitted they did not tend to carry a child car seat around on the off-chance they might need one for their children or for another parent's child, while 85 per cent believed the Government should do more to raise awareness of in-car safety laws.

“Road accidents remain one of the biggest killers of young children, said father-of-four, Jon Sumroy, inventor of the mifold, the Grab-and-Go portable child restraint. "Child restraints reduce this risk dramatically, but parents are still unnecessary endangering their children. Today, there is really no excuse any more."

The research also found more than one quarter feared they had inadvertently broken regulations relating to travelling with children in vehicles, while 54 per cent also worried they might break the in-car safety laws in the future and not even realise it..

More than one third have allowed their children to travel without a suitable child restraint, while one fifth admitted their kids had travelled in their car boot and 22 per cent had used a cushion instead of a suitable car seat.

Three in 10 had driven with their children sat on someone’s lap and one fifth have wedged their kids into a backseat containing four or more passengers.

A spokesman for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Road crashes are the biggest cause of death among 5-25 year olds so when a child is present in a moving road vehicle it is essential the appropriate child restraints are used.

"Children are one of the most vulnerable road users - no matter how they travel. Their undeveloped frames are open to more severe injuries and ill-prepared to absorb the violent crash forces of a vehicular impact. It is important that the public are aware of the danger that children are in if they are not using the appropriate restraints.”

SWNS