Hundreds of children’s car seats across Moray and Aberdeenshire have been fitted incorrectly, potentially putting youngsters at risk.
Moray Council said a recent road safety study discovered an alarming number of seats were attached in such a way that children could be fatally injured in the event of an accident.
Of 513 checked, officers found 329 to be wrongly fitted.
The local authority yesterday issued a safety warning, urging parents to follow instructions more vigilantly.
Willie Findlay, of the Moray Community Safety Partnership, said the number of incorrectly fitted child seats was “alarming”.
He added: “It is incumbent on all drivers to be responsible on our roads and this extends to being responsible for the passengers they carry, particularly the very young.
“Used correctly, child seats can prevent serious or fatal injury.
“I would urge any driver to seek advice if they are unsure about the suitability of their child seat.”
Road safety education officer Lucy Cramb added: “All legal car seats have an ‘E’ label attached giving information on the regulations to which they conform.
“Seats marked E44.03 are still legal to use but not to sell, and seats without this label are illegal to use.”
Mrs Cramb said that, when choosing a seat, parents should check that it is compatible with the car and the child’s weight and height – and should ask the retailer to show how to fit it.
The checks, which were carried out over the summer, also found 11 children in Moray being driven while not wearing seatbelts.
Car seat clinics are held regularly across the region and any questions can be sent to commuitysafety@moray.gov.uk
