Road Safety Authority's free 'check it fits' service coming to Tullamore and Edenderry

The Road Safety Authority's free 'check it fits' service is on the road and heading to Offaly this coming week.

It will be in the Bridge Shopping Centre in Tullamore on Tuesday, October 7, from 10am to 5.30pm, while on Wednesday, October 8, it will be at Tesco, Clonmullen Industrial Estate, Edenderry, also from 10am to 5.30pm.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said more than half of child car seats (54%) checked by its 'check it fits' service were incorrectly fitted and needed some type of adjustment to make them a safe fit.

The RSA is highlighting that if a child’s car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

Car seats may seem simple to install, but the installation is often easy to get wrong. The RSA found that almost a third of seats fitted incorrectly needed major adjustments.

Ron Richardson, Lead checker for the RSA commented: "While the RSA’s experience with its Check it Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, worryingly, it found that 30% of these needed a major adjustment to fix them.

"For example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective. 67% were minor adjustments, for example, the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt.

"Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car. I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits service when it comes to Offaly and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely."

The service takes between 10-15 minutes. It is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car.

It is a walk-in service, no appointment needed.