In Scotland police are offering parents the chance to have their childrens car seats suitability and fitting checked.

If drivers are involved in a car accident where their childrens car seat is fitted incorrectly, or is not the correct size, it can actually cause more injury than if the child wasn't in it.

Tayside Police Road Safety Officers already hold annual child car seat checks in June, but due to their popularity are to hold one a month from January, through to the annual check in June in Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross.

The straightforward advice is that it's better to find out if your child’s car seat is fit for purpose and fitted correctly now, than find out after a road accident.

The Road Safety Officers stress that they are not trying catch anyone out, but just to give free impartial advice about the suitability and safety of children that are being carried in the car seat.

Due to the high demand for the safety checks, they are by appointment only, for further advice or to book an appointment the local road safety officer can be contacted on: -

Angus – (01307) 303888

Dundee – (01382) 596431

Perth & Kinross – (01738) 892888

The success of the initiative will be evaluated by the road safety team in June.