Axkid Safety Conference Urges Action on UK Car Seat Awareness

Axkid Safety Conference Highlights Urgent Need for Greater Child Car Safety Awareness

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Axkid Safety Conference Highlights Urgent Need for Greater Child Car Safety Awareness after study reveals UK is lagging behind in car seat safety.

Nursery Online was honoured to attend the Axkid Child Safety Conference on 12th March, which was attended by car and child safety experts, press and retailers from across the UK. Hosted by Axkid’s CEO Daniel Johansson, key findings from the new child safety report highlighted alarming gaps in parental awareness of child car seat laws. The conference showcased the company’s continued commitment to improving effective public awareness through campaigns.

Key Findings

At the heart of the report, the research, conducted by Swedish child car seat specialists, Axkid, among 1000 UK and 1000 Swedish parents, lies a concerning trend: while the majority of parents are aware of the importance, a significant number remain unaware of key legal requirements and other fundamental aspects.

In fact, 83% of UK parents said there should be clearer recommendations on how children can travel safely in cars

Unaware of Minimum Age to Face Forward: A whopping 44% of parents are unaware of the minimum age of 15 months when a child can travel facing forward. Although there is sufficient research attesting to the safety of rear-facing car seats, merely 22% of parents with children aged 2-4 years from the survey remain in rear facing car seats compared to 83% in Sweden.
Declining Use of Restraint Systems: Although 74% of British children aged 0-7 always use some type of restraint, usage falls off sharply among older children. Only 51% of children aged 8-10 always use a child restraint system, and 23% never use one at all. 55% of parents said they did not know how tall a child has to be to travel without a car seat or booster seat.
Parent Misconceptions: Most parents turn their infants forward-facing too soon because of safety and height misconceptions. The single most common reason parents discontinue the use of extra protection is that the child is too tall, in spite of what both legal requirements and safety regulations state.
Overwhelming Demand for More Explicit Guidance: A staggering 83% of parents wanted more explicit guidance above and beyond the statutory minimum legal requirements, an overwhelming public demand for more explicit child safety communication from the authorities.

The Swedish Plus Test, which is the most challenging child car seat safety test in Europe, was mentioned as a gold standard for evaluating child restraint systems. In contrast to EU-wide regulations, the Plus Test makes sure the seats can protect children against excessive neck forces in a collision. Surprisingly, only one in five parents surveyed were aware of this important safety standard.

The Call For Action – Closing the knowledge gap:

The results of the Axkid Child Safety Report indicate a distinct requirement for wider education and public awareness campaigns. People expressed concerns that UK regulations allowing children to travel facing the rear until the age of 15 months seem insufficient in comparison to safety recommendations seen in other parts of the world. The conference’s speakers highlighted the need for government bodies, road safety organisations, media and retailers to work closely together to:

Encourage public awareness with stronger guidance towards staying rear-facing beyond the minimum required by law.
Policy change in the UK more in line with Sweden to promote rear facing travel until at least 4 years old.
Make it easier to find credible and accurate safety information.
Start national campaigns to ensure that parents can make informed choices regarding child safety in the car.

Jayne Caul, Managing Director of Axkid UK, said: ” Sweden has successfully made rear-facing travel the norm until at least four-years-old – there’s no reason why the UK can’t do the same.

“No parent wants to put their child at risk, but many unknowingly do so due to a lack of clear, accessible information. Parents have told us they want clearer recommendations on car seat safety, yet we are failing them by not providing the guidance and support they need to make the safest choices for their children. The UK must do far more to educate and empower parents. It’s time for change.”

A Step Toward Safer Roads For Children

As a child safety advocate, Axkid reiterated its commitment to leading change by supporting stiffer safety measures and better education for parents.

The conference finished on a call to action, asking each stakeholder to come together towards a future where every child travels as safely as possible. Nursery Online is committed to supporting this campaign.

For further information about the Axkid Child Safety Report, reach out to Jayne Caul – jayne.caul@axkid.com.