According to the recent New Child Restraint Regulations, this became effective in 2009, the vehicle needs to protect the child and correctly fit the position and his seat. All these conditions are imposed on a child below 7 or 7 years old.
Installing Child Restraints should take place in the rear of the car rather than at the front seat as the child should be seated in the front. Therefore air bag is the safest and the easiest way to secure a child when you are travelling. Every parent wants to protect their child and to keep him or her safe. It has been estimated that 70 – 90% of the parents do not use proper safety measures although they cannot dream of hurting their child. This is because they are unaware of the safety precautions and make errors while installing them.
There are many types of preventive and safety measures that are required by the parents of the child. Some of the safety measures are installing of air bags, installing of booster seats for your child, seat belts etc. Latch (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) installation should be done properly and counts a lot. The LATCH is tightened properly around the child to protect him in case of an accident. The LATCH is very much similar to a seat belt. Due to a bit complicated procedure, the latch is sometimes not properly tied which is very hazardous.
All cars these days have a built-in seat belt that is attached to the back and front seat of the car and before driving, it needs to be tied up. People also tend to be careless while putting them on as they do not double check the belt whether tied properly or not. The seat belt must be tightened in such a way that it makes the child put up and restrict too much movement. Checking of seat belt should be done twice before starting the car as the seat belt or the LATCH, if not tied properly cannot be of any safety or help.
To assure that you know how to use these safety measures for your child, it is important to read the safety guider book that comes along with your car which guides you how to properly adjust these latches and set belts and what other precautionary measures to take. Self-awareness is also a big tool for your protection.