Child seats must be replaced after an accident

Direct Line and Brake - the national Road Safety Charity - are reminding parents of the importance of child seats and the need to replace restraints after an accident.

Direct Line's research has found more than 20 per cent of parents believe you do not need to replace a child seat after a low speed collision. In response, Direct Line and Brake are reminding parents that while there may be no obvious signs that a child seat has been damaged, a crash can seriously undermine the structural integrity of a child seat.

Seat belt laws require child seats be used for all children until they are either 135 centimetres in height or 12 years old. Despite these legal requirements, research conducted by Direct Line has found that a quarter of parents with children between the ages of 3 and 12 are not using a car seat at all.

In 2007, 271 children were killed or seriously injured while travelling in cars and almost 6,000 were hurt. Many of these deaths and injuries could be prevented by the proper use of a child seat.

Katie Shephard, Education Manager at Brake, says: "There is nothing as devastating as the violent, sudden death or serious injury of a child. Yet this research suggests that a large proportion of families still don't prioritise their child's safety in their vehicles.

"Brake is delighted that Direct Line is highlighting this important issue and we're urging parents to replace their child's seat after a crash. We hope that by working with Direct Line to draw attention to these shocking figures, families will realise the importance of using suitable child restraints."

Maggie Game, Head of Car Insurance at Direct Line, says, "What might seem like a minor accident can undermine your child's safety if you are involved in a subsequent collision. Even minor accidents can weaken restraints which are critical to protecting your child in an emergency."

"Motorists with child seats should contact their insurer following an accident to check if they will pay for a replacement even if there is no apparent damage. Direct Line is one of the insurers that will pay for the replacement of child seats affected by a crash to minimise the risk of your child being injured in future."

As Britain's largest car insurer, Direct Line recognises that driving is one of the most dangerous activities we undertake and it is important we make sure our children travel safely. Direct Line will pay for the replacement of your child seat should you be involved in an accident even if there is no apparent damage. This is a standard feature of Direct Line's car insurance cover.

Direct Line's research reveals the top five reasons parents fail to replace child car seats after a crash:

Low speed accident
Didn't think they needed to
No apparent damage
They had it inspected but were told it was okay
Their insurer wouldn't pay for it

For more information on the features of Direct Line's car insurance, visit directline.co.uk