Free child car seat safety checks

Car seat safety experts will be on hand in supermarkets and stores across the city from Thursday 1 May to advise car drivers on whether their children's seats are correctly fitted.

The free child car seat safety checks, which have been organised by Portsmouth City Council, are carried out by IOSH trained staff from Baby 2000.  

The free checks take place between 10am and 3.30pm on the following dates and locations:

On	At
Thursday 1 May	Tesco North Harbour
Thursday 5 June	Asda Fratton
Thursday 3 July	Sainsbury’s Farlington
Thursday 7 August	Baby 2000, Copnor Rd
Thursday 4 September	Baby 2000, Copnor Rd
Thursday 2 October	Baby 2000, Copnor Rd

For more information call 023 9268 8582
Or search child car seats at portsmouth.gov.uk 

Questions to ask when you buy a car seat
Does the shop have trained and experienced fitting staff? 
Most seats fail our tests because they do not fit the car or the child. Ask for a member of staff with lots of experience in fitting seats, preferably someone who has IOSH Child Seat Safety Awareness training or who has attended training from seat manufacturers. 
You can find your nearest IOSH trained staff at www.childseatsafety.co.uk/advisor 

Is this seat right for my child?
Children must travel in a car seat until they are 135cm tall or 12 years old – whichever comes first. Seats are categorised by weight and a good retailer will ask you how much your child weighs when you buy a new seat. 

Does the seat have the right safety mark? 
All new seats must have the ECE R44.04 mark on them. Any new seat without this mark is not legally acceptable in the UK and may not be safe. Older seats with R44.03 can still legally be used but they may have degraded and not be as safe. 
You should never use a second hand seat unless you know its full history as it may have been dropped or in an accident and have damage you can't see. 
For a detailed checklist to help you buy a car seat search child car seats on our website www.portsmouth.gov.uk 

Will this seat fit all the cars I want to use it in? 
Not all seats fit all cars. Arrange for a trained member of staff to complete a fitting trial for you in all the cars the seat will be used in. It is harder to do this if you buy online. 

If you get your car seat checked at any of our events (see above) you will receive a 10% discount voucher* to purchase your next car seat from Baby 2000.
*Redeemable against advertised prices on the Baby 2000 website