Drivers with children in their car alerted to £500 fine risk before September

Motorists with a vehicle on their driveway could be hit with £500 penalties before September arrives - and may not even realise that they're in breach of any regulations.

Mums and dads currently enjoying the summer break with their youngsters have been cautioned that they might fall foul of a straightforward mistake with their own vehicle. During August, mums and dads have been advised to make absolutely certain they're following child car seat regulations, or else run the risk of a hefty fine. As thesummer holiday period rolls on, specialists warned that children are "at risk" if motoring parents fail to meet certain requirements, and there could be very severe consequences.

Hippo Leasing stated: "Ensure your child's car seat meets legal requirements. If not, you could face a £500 fine, and more importantly, you're putting your child at risk in the event of an accident."

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They added: "Height-based seats are known as 'i-Size' seats. They must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. Your child can use a forward-facing child car seat when they're over 15 months old. You must check the seat to make sure it's suitable for the height of your child."

Anyone aged over 14 travelling in a minibus, coach or bus must wear a seatbelt if one is provided, while every passenger aged 14 and above in either the front or back seat "must" use a fitted seatbelt, with the individual passenger being accountable for this requirement.

Children aged 12 or older, or those exceeding 135cm in height, must use a "seatbelt or correct child restraint must be used if fitted" when seated in the front. If a child is positioned in the back seat, then they must also wear a "seatbelt or correct child restraint", with the motorist being held responsible. The driver and all passengers over 14 years old must also wear a seat belt if one is available, reports Birmingham Live.

These rules apply to cars, vans and any other commercial vehicles. The driver of the vehicle is responsible for ensuring that they, and any children in their car, are properly and safely secured with a seat belt or in a car seat or booster.

As previously reported by the Mirror, specific exceptions are accommodated under the UK's child seat laws. For instance, while travelling in taxis or minicabs without the correct car seat, or during an "unexpected necessity over a short distance", children may be excused from the usual standard requirements.

This flexibility also extends to scenarios where a vehicle already contains two fitted child seats, making the installation of a third fitted seat impractical.

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