Shropshire PCSO campaigns to get child car seat law changed

Katy Balaam, who patrols the Brookside area of Telford, says the current law is dangerous and could lead to very young children suffering serious injury if they are involved in a car crash.

PCSO Balaam has now launched a campaign on the government's petition website to get the law changed to ensure children are in rear facing car seats until the age of four.

"At the moment when children are around 15 months old parents are putting them in front facing car seats, when in fact they can and should remain in rear facing car seats much longer," she said.

PCSO Balaam said she began looking into the issue with children's car seats when her own child was born in October 2020.

"I was looking to get a new car seat as my daughter was in a carrier so I started looking into it and found that children are much safer when they stay rear facing," she said. "It is all about the neck. Children's bones are a lot softer so when they are front-facing and are involved in a car crash their soft bones cannot protect their spinal cord.

"When they are rear facing the seat takes a lot of the impact and the head and neck is not thrown forward so is protected.

"The current law allows parents with lack of knowledge to put their child in potential danger without even knowing. Although the guidance is there, infants are still being moved into forward facing seats as this isn’t ‘breaking the law’."

She added that she wanted the law changed so children under 18kg, 105cm tall or four years old should be rear facing.

If her petition reaches 10,000 signatures, then parliament will be under an obligation to debate Katy's proposed law change, but the PCSO says she has started the campaign mainly to raise awareness.

"I've been speaking to people in my community and been offering advice. The key for me is raising awareness so that parents know the dangers."

If you wish to sign PCSO Balaam's petition it is available here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640558