Original Article: Keeping children safe in cars involves more than buying a robust modern vehicle. It involves placing them in the right seat, at the right age, in the right way. Parents can find this confusing, so Simon Elstow from the Institute of Advanced Motorists has a few tips:

– Take control: be responsible for your children’s safety, from their birth to when they become young adults. – Children under three in the front must be in an appropriate child restraint – using adult belts is not allowed. – Children aged three to eleven must use an appropriate child restraint if available – if one is not available then an adult belt must be used. – Never put a rear-facing baby seat in the front where there is an active passenger airbag. – Isofix seat mounts are the safest way to secure a baby or child seat in your car. Most seat manufacturers make products designed specifically for use with these super-strong mounting points, which are common in many modern cars, and easy to use. – Once it’s in, grip the car seat and push it backwards and forwards – if it is fitted properly, the car should move and not the car seat. Simon Elstow said: “The key to keeping your child safe on the road is vigilance and information. Knowing which seat to use and when to use it is just as important as knowing the right way to fit it.”