The RSA's free Check It Fits service returns to Limerick and Clare
The RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting Limerick and Clare to help parents and ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted.
THE RSA are delighted to announce that their face-to-face child car seat checking service 'Check it Fits' is returning to Limerick and Clare.
Now back on the road visiting locations around the country, the service will be available to locals from Wednesday, July 29, to Friday, July 31.
Over half of child car seats checked by the Road Safety Authority’s Check it Fits service were incorrectly fitted, with 54% needing some type of adjustment to make them a safe fit.
Car seats may seem simple to install, but the installation is often easy to get wrong.
If a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.
RSA are aware that parents are not intentionally putting children in danger, and it is an education issue.
To help address this problem, the RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting to help parents and ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted.
Lead checker Ron Richardson added that while the Check It Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, "worryingly, it found that 30% of these needed a major adjustment to fix them."
"For example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective. 67% were minor adjustments, for example, the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt. Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car. I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits service when it comes to your area and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely," Mr Richardson elaborated.
The service takes between 10 and 15 minutes and runs from 10.00am – 5.30 pm.
It is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car.
It is a walk-in service, no appointment needed.
The Check It Fits service will visit Clare on Wednesday, July 29, at Aldi Coolrane, Ennis.
Limerick residents have two days to avail of the service, with a service on Thursday, July 30, at Smyths Toys Superstore on the Ennis Road, and another on Friday, July 31, at Supervalu Castletroy.
It is important to use your child's car seat correctly every time during a car journey, so parents should regularly check its fit or have it rechecked at a Check it Fits service.
For example, if you got your child car seat fitted in winter now coming into the summer months you may need to tighten the harness as your children are wearing lighter clothes.
If your child’s car seat or restraint is incorrectly fitted, the Check it Fits experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have to avoid potential serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.
For more information on Check It Fits servicing events and tips for ensuring a safe car seat for your child, visit: www.rsa.ie/checkitfits.