Plunket holds checking clinic of child car restraints

ROBYN EDIE/The Southland Times

SAFETY FIRST: Two-year-old Nation Austin Reti enjoys his new balloon, while Plunket carseat co-ordinator Wendy Flawn (back) checks the baby capsule of 5-week-old Cameron James as mum Destiny Austin looks on.

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An unlicenced grandmother, driving with an unrestrained 3-year-old in the back of her car, was caught in a joint Plunket and police check on children's car seats in Invercargill yesterday.

The chance discovery was made after the woman drove into the south Invercargill carpark where the free checking clinic was being held and was spotted by police.

Constable Glenn Knipe said the woman was stopped because the child was unrestrained and when she was asked to produce her driver's licence, she admitted she did not have one.

The woman was issued with an order forbidding her from driving, he said.

Southland Plunket car seat rental scheme manager Kathryn Implemans appreciated the irony, but said the purpose of the voluntary clinic was to educate parents about the safe fitting and use of carseats – not to catch people out.

The clinic, which was set up in the United Video carpark off Elles Rd from 10am until 2pm, was advertised and was an opportunity for parents to come and have their car seats checked by Plunket staff.

Police were always called in to support Plunket when it held clinics and the eagle-eyed officers had acted independently, Mrs Implemans said. The clinic had been well supported but, of the cars checked, about 80 per cent "had it wrong" and were found to have car seats incorrectly fitted in the back seat.

Those ranged from the seat itself not being properly secured through to the harness securing the child not being tight enough.

Most errors were made by parents "taking shortcuts", but rather than being alarmed the fact those parents were less likely to make the same mistakes was a positive, Mrs Implemans said.

An observational survey completed by theTransport Ministry last year showed 92 per cent of the sample of between 100 and 150 cars seen to be carrying children in Southland used car seats, she said.

"That's in line with the national average but we'd like it to be higher," Mrs Implemans said.

In Invercargill that number dropped back slightly to 89 per cent of vehicles seen.

Legally children were required to be restrained in approved carseats up until the age of 5, but car seats were recommended up until the age of 10, Mrs Implemans said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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