Are your children in the correct type of car seat?

13 February 2025

Every primary school in Powys now has a newly installed height chart to easily show which type of car seat the children should be using to stay safe when traveling in a vehicle.

Thanks to the work of the council's Road Safety Officers, this new signage has been specially produced and installed to allow parents and carers to see quickly and easily how tall their children are and help determine which car seat they should legally be using. 

All children, from birth until 12 years of age (or 135cm in height, whichever comes first) must legally use a suitable, correctly fitted car seat when travelling in most vehicles. The type of car seat depends on the age and weight or height of the child. For primary school children, the easiest thing to remember is if a child is under 125cm in height, they must use a highbacked car seat with a three- or five-point harness or impact shield. A child over 125cm tall must be in a booster seat, preferably with a high back, until they reach 12 year of age or grow to over 135cm tall.

Drivers must remember that if the child is in the front of the car in a rear facing child car seat, then, by law, the front passenger airbag must be switched off.

Once old enough and tall enough to stop using car seats, it is still vitally important to check that the children are sitting and secured safely, making sure they are facing forward with their back against the seat and their feet on the floor, and with the seatbelt on their hips (not abdomen) and shoulder (not neck).

"Our Road Safety Officers are trained to give advice to parents, carers and drivers on which types of car seats to use depending on your child's age and height and will happily check to make sure your seat have been fitted correctly and safely." Explains Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys and Cllr Richard Church, Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys and governor at Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng. "As well as offering road safety training, they also host pop-up events in places such as leisure centres, supermarkets, schools, etc where you can call in a get your car seat checked whilst you wait.
 
"The new height charts that the busy team have been installing in all our primary schools is another excellent way for parents and carers to easily check how tall their kids are and quickly determine which type of car seat they should be legally using to keep them safe. 
 
"Please remember that it is the driver's responsibility to ensure that everyone under the age of 14 is in a suitable car seat and/or wearing a seatbelt whilst in your car. If you need any advice, the Powys Road Safety Team are happy to help, just drop them an email: road.safety@powys.gov.uk."

For more information on Powys County Council's Road Safety Team, please visit: Ask for road safety training

For more information on the law and child car seats, please visit: Child car seats: the law

Photo: Pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng in Welshpool help the road safety officers, Jim Campbell and Rob Griffith, ensure the new sign is at the correct height, so parents can stand their children against the height chart and see what car seat they should be using to stay safe.