Police monitor child seat use in car across country

Police on Thursday started monitoring the use of child seat in vehicles all around the country, said an official press release.

The Finnish Road Safety Council is participating in the police´s drive to monitor the use of seat belts and child safety seats to be continued till September 20.

Children must use a child seat when travelling by car even on the shortest trips, regardless of the parents’ opinions, said police.

The safest place for a child in the car is in a child seat in the rear seat with their back to the direction of travel, even on short trips.

About 9% of the respondents to the Finnish Road Safety Council's survey felt that it is safe for a small child to not use a child seat if the trip is short.

"Even on a short trip it’s possible that you have to brake suddenly or get into an accident – it is not as if they let you know one is going to happen. Legally, children must use a child seat when travelling by car until they are 135 cm tall," said Chief Superintendent of the National Police Board Tuomo Katajisto.

According to Katajisto, there is a prohibited and particularly dangerous way that used to be somewhat common, to have the child sit in the parent's lap, which has fortunately become rare. There are still shortcomings in the use of safety devices.

The Finnish Road Safety Council recommends that the child be seated in a rearward-facing safety device for as long as possible, at least up to the age of four.

Children’s heads are heavy and their necks are sensitive, and rearward-facing seats provide the best support in the event of a collision. Bent legs are not detrimental to children. It is not enough reason to turn the child seat facing forward too early.

After the infant carrier, the child starts using a child safety seat. The safest thing is to use the child safety seat until the child is 150 cm tall.

The parents are responsible for the safety of their child.

"The parent is the person who decides to transport their child in a legal way. It is also the parent who is responsible for their child’s safety, which is why they should not give way on using the child seat,” said Ari-Pekka Elovaara, Contact Manager at the Finnish Road Safety Council.

Failure to wear safety belts will generally land an adult a 70 euro penalty. If the parent or driver fails to use a child safety device, according to Katajisto, it is considered an endangerment of road safety, as it causes a hazard for another person, who in that case would be the child.

The monitoring started on September 12 at Sulkava and Juva, which will be continued on September 16 at Kirkkonummi, September 17 at Rovaniemi and Tampere, September 18 at Iisalmi and September 20 at Lahti and Oulu.