New research has revealed that thousands of parents could be breaking the law and putting their children’s safety at risk by incorrectly installing their child car seat.

The confusion on the laws for child car seats comes from a change in the law in 2017, with uncertainty on the correct ages for forward and backwards facing seats.

Nursery group Kiddi Caru found that one in four parents were breaking the law with their current set-up by switching to a front-facing seat when their child turned one - one in ten thought the law allowed them to make the change at just six months old.

The law actually states that children must remain in a rear-facing seat until they are 15 months old and while 83 per cent of those surveyed agreed that rear facing seats were safer, more than half made the switch to front facing before the child was five.

Separate research has revealed that children are safer in rear facing seats up to the age of four, with rear-facing seats providing more head support and spinal protection, offering five times more protection that a front facing seat.

Simon Bellamy, managing director of In Car Safety Centre, said: “Often parents consider their children as little adults, they are not. Their heads are disproportionately heavier in relation to the rest of their bodies, their bone structure is not fully formed, the rib cage offers little protection to the organs which are still not in the position they would be when they are actually adults.

“Forward-facing too early places a child in an extremely dangerous position. It is our responsibility as parents to provide our children with the greatest level of protection we are able to afford. Rear-facing provides that added protection and is no more expensive than forward-facing. You cannot turn the clock back if you are involved in an accident, the child may suffer life changing injuries or the outcome could be fatal.”

Sell or part ex your car today