From today (Monday, Sept 18, 2006) the Government enforces a new law stating that every adult in the country must use child seats or booster cushions when transporting children around in their cars. For clarity, you only need to buy a car seat or booster cushion if your child is under 12 or is under 135cm tall. Remember, if you have two children that fall into this category you will need to buy two seats. Children who fall outside these categories MUST wear a seat belt. Parents should also be aware that rear-ward facing baby car seats should not be placed in the front seat where there is a front passenger airbag.

You can buy these child seats and booster cushions from most high street retailers; Halfords, Tesco and Asda to name a few. It’s definitely worth shopping around as the prices do vary. Fighting for the consumer, Asda is challenging the Government to take VAT off the price because the seats are now compulsory. I guess we’ll just have to watch this space on that one.

So what will happen if you’re caught not using one? The police can issue drivers with on-the-spot fines from £30, which could rise as high as £500 if you’re taken to court. There are some exemptions to this law though that parents should know about:

• If your car is not big enough to hold three child seats in the back, then two will be sufficient.
  
• Children on short 'unexpected necessity' journeys (giving a child from another family a lift home) will be exempt.

For more information on this subject you can visit: http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/fromseptember06.htm

Moneysupermarket Motoring Team

I fully support this law and have been using the correct seats for my children since long before it came in.

What's tricky, now, is that my mum collects them from school in the afternoons, as I have started working outside the home again. I keep forgetting to leave her the car seats, and so am going to have to buy an extra one for my son who cannot sit on just a booster seat.

But that's my problem. No price is too high to pay to keep a child safe.

Cat

What it meant was I had to sell my 1969 MGB GT despite the fact that with a roll cage and two little racing harness sets in the back I could be done if my kids were not perched dangerously on boosters.

The Police suggested tha I could remove the seatbelts altogether as they were not fitted when new and not required by law. Sometimes the legislators don't think in their rush to do the right thing. One size does not fit all.