Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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631. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to consult with the Road Safety Authority regarding a submission (details supplied) on the advantages of rear-facing children's car seats, as their usage would be a cost-effective way of reducing injury and death, as per statistics in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40565/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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EU requirements regarding child restraints systems for motor vehicles are transposed into Irish national law by theEuropean Communities (Compulsory Use of Safety Belts and Child Restraint Systems in Motor Vehicles) Regulations – S.I. 240/2006. The RSA advises me that children should be kept rearward-facing for as long as possible and should only be moved to a forward facing child seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for an infant seat or if the top of the child's head is higher than the top of the restraint system.

Given the high level of misuse among parents using rearward-facing child restraint systems, the limited range of 'extended' restraint systems available and the lack of retailer expertise in this area, the RSA are of the opinion that extending the use of restraint systems to four years of age would be counterproductive. Technical difficulties associated with the fitting of some 'extended' rearward-facing restraint systems may even exacerbate the already high levels of misuse. 

Instead, I am advised that a greater road safety dividend can be gained from educating parents on the correct use and installation of restraint systems under the existing regime. To assist in this process, the RSA has introduced the 'Check it Fits' service which travels the country teaching parents how to correctly fit their child car seats. Data collected during these checks has shown that 80% of child car seats are incorrectly fitted.

If the EU mandates the use of 'extended' rearward-facing restraint systems to four years of age, both the child car seat and automotive industry will need to provide more retail options for parents. Details regarding the fitting of child car seats is available on the RSA website .