Backless Booster Seats Banned For Small Children
New Law Says Children Under A Certain Height And Weight Cannot Use Them
A new law is to be introduced later this year which will restrict the use of backless booster seats in cars, to children under 125cm and weighing less than 22kg.
The Current Law
Children that weigh under 15kg are currently able to use backless booster seats, which means that children as young as three years old can use them when travelling in a car.
Why The Change?
Experts argued that booster seats with high-back support are much safer. Lisa Galliers from Which? said: “A decent high-backed booster seat provides better protection in a front crash, as they're designed to guide the adult seat-belt across the child's body properly, and our crash tests prove they offer much more protection in a side-impact crash than a backless booster seat alone.”
What’s Changing?
In December 2016 the new rules will come into place, which means only children that weigh more than 22g and are taller than 125cm will be able to use booster seats that don’t have a back support. However this only applies to new booster seats coming onto the market, so parents that don’t upgrade to seats deemed safer by the experts, won’t be breaking any laws.
Argos Recall Booster Seats
The catalogue retailer recalled five Mamas & Papas booster seats which are made exclusively for them, due to fears the shells may crack in the event of a crash. Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Black, Mercury Group 1 Grey, Mercury Group 1-2-3 Black, Mercury Group 1, 2, 3 Grey, Mercury Group 2-3 Black and Grey have all been recalled, with Argos saying in a statement: "We have identified a potential safety concern. In the event of an accident the car seat shell may crack and therefore not provide the intended level of protection to the user."
