What are the new regulations?

In addition, the revised regulations also say that rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a seat protected by a frontal air-bag unless the air-bag has been deactivated manually or automatically.

* Children under 3 years MUST use the child restraint appropriate for their weight in all cars, vans and other goods vehicles, with the single exception for the rear of taxis. They cannot travel otherwise. This means for example that they may not travel in cars, vans or goods vehicles which do not have seat belts installed.

** Examples. A 7 year old who is 140 cms tall is over the height for a child restraint and may use an adult seat belt. A 12 year old who is 130 cms tall is over the age threshold and therefore may use an adult belt.

*** If no seat belts are fitted in the front, then children under 135 cms in height (who are also under 12 years of age) cannot travel in the front.

In buses and coaches (including minibuses), seated passengers aged 14 years and above will have to use seat belts where they are fitted. Regulations requiring children 3 years to 13 years to use seat belts (or child restraints if they are available) in these vehicles will be brought forward as soon as practicable. The regulations will not include any obligation for anyone to provide child restraints in these vehicles.

Three exceptions allow children 3 years to 135 cms in height to travel in the rear and use an adult belt:

• in a licensed taxi/private hire vehicle, if the right child restraint is not available; or

• for unexpected necessity over a short distance, if the right child restraint is not available; or

• where two occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third child seat.

Children under 3 years may travel in the rear of a taxi unrestrained if no child restraint is available.

"Child restraints" is the collective term in the seat belt wearing legislation for baby seats, child seats, booster seats and booster cushions.

Modern child restraints are designed for specific weight ranges of child. They have to meet UN ECE Regulation 44.03 (or subsequent) type approval standard and be marked with a label (showing an "E" and "44.03" or ".03") and the Group number, or weight range of child, for which it is designed. All child restraints that meet the Regulation 44.03 type approval standard are approved for use in forward-facing or rear-facing seats.

Manufacturers use different names for their products so the names we have used below may not always apply and are a guide only. Manufacturers sometimes combine weight ranges in one product so that it can be used over a longer time as a child grows. It is the weight of the child that decides the restraint that must be used.

• Group 0 and Group 0+. These are baby seats - rear-facing and for children up to 10 kgs and up to 13 kgs respectively (approx age birth to 9-12 months);

• Group I. Child seats - forward facing and for children 9 kgs to 18 kgs (approx 9 months to 4 years);

• Group II. Booster seats - for children from 15 kgs to 25 kgs (approx 4 to 6 years), or 15kgs up to 36 kgs);

• Group III. Booster cushions - for children from 22 kgs and up to 36 kgs (from approx 6 years).

When a vehicle is involved in a crash it comes to an abrupt halt. If not restrained, occupants will have their own crash into the vehicle structure. Restraint systems are therefore designed to help keep people away from the vehicle structure and to distribute the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of the human body, with minimum damage to the soft tissues.

Adults are restrained by a three point seat belt. This is designed for adults and not for children. Children are not small adults. They are proportioned differently and their key organs are in different places. Their tissues have different strengths and weaknesses and their needs change as they grow. Therefore they need a child restraint system to cope with the different stages of their development.

Infants - At birth, the infant head is around a quarter of their total length and about a third of their body weight. An infant's skull is very flexible, so a relatively small impact can result in significant deformation of the skull and brain. The smaller the child, the lower the force needed for injury. The infant rib cage is also very flexible. Impact to the chest can result in a large compression of the chest wall onto the heart and lungs, and some of the abdominal organs. The infant pelvis is unstable and cannot withstand the forces from an adult restraint system.

A rear facing child restraint system is the only solution to provide the best protection for infants up to 13 kg weight.

Childhood - The bone making process is not complete until the age of 6 or 7 and throughout childhood a child's skull remains less strong than that of an adult. A restraint system needs to limit forward head movement in a frontal impact and provide protection from intrusion in a side impact. A child restraint should therefore distribute the crash forces over as wide an area as possible. Belts and harnesses therefore need to fit well and be properly positioned as designed by the manufacturer. The restraint system should also provide protection as far as possible from contact with the vehicle interior in both front and side impacts.

The best type of child restraint for early childhood is the child safety seat. The integral harness secures the child and spreads the crash forces over a wide area. This seat will last them until either their weight exceeds 18kg or they grow too tall for the height of the adjustable harness.

Booster seats are best used only when a child has outgrown a safety seat and are designed for weights from 15 kg to 25 kg. These raise the seating position of the child so that the adult seat belt lies properly across the chest and in particular low across the pelvis - if the adult belt is too high across the stomach, then in a crash, serious internal injury could result, or the child could submarine under the seat belt. The booster seat has a back and can provide some protection in a side impact. Booster cushions are designed for weights from 22 kg to 36 kg but manufacturers are now producing boosters with backs that cover both weight ranges.

• Adult seat belts are best for people over 150 cms (approx 5') in height and with an adult bone structure. Children need to use child seats and boosters to be safe - they put them in the right position to benefit from the adult seat belt properly.

• The lap belt element of an adult seat belt needs to go as low as possible over the stomach. Therefore a child needs to be boosted up so the adult belt fits properly. If not, the adult belt sits too high over the stomach and in a crash there is a risk of damage to internal organs as well as slipping out under the belt.

• It is impracticable to expect the right child seat or booster to be available in a taxi unless parents have brought one with them. Therefore, there is an exception so that if child restraints are not available in a licensed taxi or licensed private hire vehicle:

• under 3s may travel unrestrained but in the rear only;

• those 3 years and above must use an adult belt in the rear seat only.

• Remember that a child up to 135 cms in a front seat of any vehicle must use the correct child seat or booster.

The driver of the vehicle is responsible for seat belt wearing by children under 14 years (except in taxis with fixed partitions).

• If there is an 'unexpected necessity' there is an exemption for a child of 3 years or more to wear an adult belt on a short journey when no appropriate child seat is available. The exemption is not intended to cover regular school runs or other journeys that are planned in advance.

• Children under 3 years must always have a child seat. The only exception is when they travel in the rear of taxis and a child seat is not available.

• In a crash, unbelted passengers can injure other passengers. It is also very dangerous to carry a baby or small child in your lap - never try this, do it, even for a short distance because in a crash you will not be able to hold onto them!

• Never use one seat belt for two children or for an adult or child. In a crash, one will crush the other.

• From May 2009, all passengers in any vehicle with seat belts fitted will have to use a seat belt or child seat or booster.

• There is a range of products and prices. All the major shops selling child seats have information on their websites, including prices.

• Modern child restraints are designed for specific weight ranges of child. They have to be marked with a label (showing an "E" and "44.03" or ".03") and the Group number, or weight range of child, for which it is designed. If you need help, most retailers of child restraints will have trained staff that can help in choosing the right one.

• Manufacturers use different names for their products so the names we have used below may not always apply and are a guide only. Manufacturers sometimes combine weight ranges in one product so that it can be used over a longer time as a child grows. It is the weight of the child that decides the restraint that must be used.

• Most seats will fit most cars but the advice is to try before you buy.

  Child's weight and approximate age:

  Group 0 and Group 0+ Up to 10 kgs or 13kgs respectively (birth to 9-12 months)
  A rearward-facing seat which can be used in the front or rear of the car. You MUST NOT use a rear-facing baby seat in a passenger seat fitted with an active front airbag.

  Group I 9-18kgs (9 months to 4 years)
  A forward-facing seat which can be used in the front or rear of the car.These sometimes have a choice of upright and reclined positions. DO NOT use on a passenger seat fitted with an active front airbag unless your vehicle manufacturer confirms it is safe. Check the vehicle handbook.

  Group II 15-25kgs (4 to 6 years) or 15 kgs and upwards (to 36 kgs)
  A forward-facing seat or booster which can be used in the front or rear of the car. The booster seat lifts the child and positions the adult lap and diagonal seatbelt correctly. DO NOT use on a passenger seat fitted with an active front airbag unless your vehicle manufacturer confirms it is safe. Check the vehicle handbook.

  Group III 22-36kgs (6 years and up)
  A forward-facing seat or booster which can be used in the front or rear of the car. The booster seat lifts the child and positions the adult lap and diagonal seatbelt correctly. DO NOT use on a passenger seat fitted with an active front airbag unless your vehicle manufacturer confirms it is safe. Check the vehicle handbook.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully when fitting your car seat and keep them in your car. Make sure that the child seats are tightly held in place. Make sure others know how to fit them properly if they are taking your children out with them.

• Some retailers offer a service demonstrating how to fit a child seat. Always allow time to check your car seat is still fitted correctly every trip.

• Speak with your local Road Safety Officer (at your local council) or look out in your local press for any fitting checks in your area.

• ISOFix anchorage points are increasingly being installed in new cars. The main advantage is that they allow a child restraint to be secured safely to the main structure of the car, helping to minimise the risk of poor or incorrect seat installation. These permanent fixtures in each seat position mean that ISOFix compatible child restraints with ISOFix fittings will be able to be fitted and released very easily without needing to use the adult seat belts. It will take up to 10 years for the majority of cars to have them.

• Some child seats already have ISOFix fittings. Check with the child seat manufacturers which of their products has them and which cars they fit.

• Seat belt wearing is already compulsory in minibuses under 2.54 tonnes unladen weight. If available, an appropriate child seat must be used in these vehicles but operators are not required to provide them.

• From 18 September, seated passengers aged 14 years and above will have to use seat belts where they are fitted in all buses and coaches. . Regulations requiring children 3 years to 13 years to use seat belts (or child restraints if they are available) will be brought forward as soon as practicable. The regulations will not include any obligation for anyone to to provide child restraints in these vehicles.

There is nothing in law to prevent child restraints being used if they fit in a bus or coach. However, these vehicles may only have lap belts and most child seats need lap and diagonal belts in order to be secured. In addition, the seats in these vehicles may be the wrong proportions for child restraints.