PARENTS are being offered the opportunity to check child car safety seats free of charge at Tesco stores as part of a new campaign.The initiative by Suffolk County Council aims to remind people of the importance of having correctly fitted seats in their car.

PARENTS are being offered the opportunity to check child car safety seats free of charge at Tesco stores as part of a new campaign.

The initiative by Suffolk County Council aims to remind people of the importance of having correctly fitted seats in their car.

Working with Suffolk Police to give advice to parents across the county, the 'Travelling Tots' campaign is being launched at the Tesco store on Saturday (1 June), which is the first location for several events to provide parents with advice on fitting their child safety seats.

A car safety seat can save a child's life but a survey by the county council in 1998 revealed that up to 80 per cent of these seats may be incorrectly fitted or unsuitable. The result could be that in an accident, the seat is not as effective at reducing injuries and could even increase the risk.

Peter Monk, member of the county council's executive committee, said: "I would urge anyone who has a child safety seat in their car to come along to one of these events to get expert advice on whether the seat is correctly fitted. A child passenger who is correctly restrained in a car is 90 per cent less likely to be killed in the event of a crash, 75 per cent less likely to be seriously injured and 67 per cent less likely to be slightly injured, compared with an unrestrained child."

There are also certain laws on safety seats for children travelling in cars. Community police officers will also be visiting each primary and nursery school in the county to talk to parents taking their children to school. They will be handing out information leaflets and giving advice on child safety seats.

Inspector Mark Quinton of Suffolk Police's Bury St Edmunds Traffic Unit, said: "We are very pleased to be involved in this campaign. Tragically, officers frequently have to deal with road traffic collisions where children have suffered serious injury or death as a result of not being properly restrained whilst in a vehicle."

The full details of the Travelling Tots seat-checking events are as follows. All events are being held in Tesco supermarket car-parks from 9am to 5pm:

N Saturday 8 June – Ipswich, Copdock store

N Saturday 22 June – Stowmarket, Cedars Link Road store

N Thursday 18 July – Ipswich, Martlesham Heath store