FINALLY the govt sees fit to explain the new car seat law

[hatwoman]

For some time now I have been grumbling that I have not seen a single leaflet or poster about the new law. dd brought one home from school today - and I'm quite taken aback to find that it's been in force since 18 September. If the point of a law is to protect children it's no good if they don't disseminate it....grumble grumble

Don't you see the news or this morning? It's been everywhere for yonks

no I don;t see This Morning. Yes I see the news. Of course I have been aware that there has been a change but it has been far from everywhere - and a news item is not the same as the written details you actually need to make sure you're within the law. My point is not about me - I'm more than capable of looking it up myself, my point is that they have done a very poor job of providing these details. The leaflet I got from school today should have come out before the law changed not a month after.

Yeah I agree

No sign of enforcement either
Bit like mobile phones and driving

No surprise on the lack of enforcement. In my neighbourhood, seeing kids rattling around the back seat of a car, facing backwards etc etc is totally normal. And that was always illegal, but never enforced. Why would this law be any different?

i know of 2 people who have been caught, and fined/had points due to this new law.
About bloomin time for ione of them too.

Where I am saw a child in a car standing up looking out of the sun roof - what idiots - parent driving along quite happy.

I agree with the lack of publicity about it and also the height restrictions etc are abit flimsy for those nearly tall enough even if they were older than the 11/12 years. I think there should have been a tv campaign and posters at bus stops etc. It IS important but unfortunately the people that know that already have car seats.

I'd agree. I thought it'd all gone over my head because we dont own a car (but do get lifts, so do have seats for the boys), but maybe its not me thats wandering around in blissful ignorance

I knew about it but my son who is 7 is over the 135 cm limit so don't need one

we had someone come to the school to demonstate appropriate car seats and explain the new laws. I'm a bit surprised that anyone could have missed the date it started tbh.

I was appalled that there was nothing sent out with every primary school - one mass email to the schools would have been enough for them to sort it.

We were lucky - my mum got an official gov't email from Fostering about it (the same sort schools could have had), and I mentioned that schools should be saying something. She works at the school, spoke to the head - all recieved a newsletter with the law changes attached the next day.

KK - i read the paper and watch the news and i did miss the date - the actual date is the kind of thing that gets buried. we have had nothing through school and although this leaflet that arrived today was - apparently - published in July I swear i have never seen it before today. The point about news coverage though is it just doesn't give the details you need. these leaflets should have been everywhere - have you seen one?

hmm, I am really not sure! I know I have had written information but it may have jsut been from the school, which isnt a lot of use for parents whose children are not at school or whose schools didnt sent them out. I see your point.

our school sent out booklets the day the law came into effect.

though I do wonder how imp is the actual date? I am guilty of allowing my kids to ride without approp seats in the past - a habit I got into before having a seven seater car (I have four kids). But as soon as I started hearing about all this it prompted me to sort them out. Surely any reasonable parent would do the same? The unreasonable ones are prob still allowing their children to ride unsafely in any case.