Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
Subscribe Today!
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The RSA’s Check It Fits service to visit County Clare in July
Parents and guardians are urged to make child safety a priority and check that their child's car seats are fitted correctly
54% of seats checked in 2024 fitted incorrectly – posing serious risk in a crash
Reporter:
Ellie McCarthy
01 Jun 2025 1:00 PM
As families across Clare gear up for summer road trips over the June Bank Holiday and summer holidays, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is urging all parents and guardians to make child safety a priority and check that their child car seats are fitted correctly.
Figures from 2024 revealed that in Clare, 222 car seat checks took place across five events, where Ennis, Kilrush, Killaloe, Lisdoonvarna and Shannon were visited. Of these checks, a shocking 55% of seats were found non-compliant. However, this could be anything from a major to minor correction in seat adjustment.
The RSA is calling on all those travelling with children this June Bank Holiday and over the summer to ensure their car seats are correctly installed and safe. Whether you’re heading on a staycation in Ireland or driving abroad, a quick safety check could be lifesaving.
“Summer sees a big rise in families on the road, often with packed cars and long journeys,” said Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs with the RSA.
“That’s why now is the perfect time to double-check that your child’s car seat is properly fitted which can be the difference between life and death in the event of a crash. Despite this, many parents are unaware of common fitting mistakes or the need to regularly check their child’s car seat as their child grows. Car seats may seem simple to install, but even small mistakes can compromise safety.”
The RSA’s Check It Fits service travels nationwide with trained specialists on-hand to carry out child car seat safety checks, and offer advice and demonstrations to help parents, guardians and caregivers ensure their child's car seat is installed and fitted correctly. It is open to all makes and models of cars and child car seats. The team also collaborate with Occupational Therapists to provide essential guidance and support for individuals with disabilities or additional needs, ensuring their car seats are both comfortable and accessible without compromising on crucial safety standards.
Since 2013, over 67,000 car seats have been checked nationwide. In 2024 alone, Check It Fits visited over 130 locations, with specialists inspecting a wide range of car seat makes, models, and car types. While 81% of issues required minor fixes that were solved on-site, 34 seats were found not fit for purpose at all, due to broken parts, missing components, or not meeting EU regulations.
The importance of car seat safety is underscored by findings from the RSA’s Child Casualties Report 2019-2023. Over this five-year period, 34 children aged 15 and younger lost their lives on Irish roads, while 592 were seriously injured. Ensuring children are properly restrained inside vehicles is a crucial step in reducing preventable injuries.
While the RSA’s Check It Fits service offers virtual appointments, in-person checks are strongly encouraged for the most comprehensive support and advice.
The RSA’s Check It Fits service will visit Lisdoonvarna on Wednesday, July 9, Ennis on Thursday, July 10 and Shannon on Friday, July 11. When the venues are announced, they will be available to view at www.rsa.ie/checkitfits under the Check It Fits locations map.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
4
To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism!
Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.
Subscribe
To continue reading this article for FREE, please kindly register and/or log in.
Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy a paper
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
