MORE than one in three child car seats tested in Wiltshire recently were not fitted correctly.

Free safety checks carried out around the county on 141 child seats by trading standards officials from Wiltshire Council and nursery products retailer Baby 2000 revealed 54 of them were not properly installed.

Cabinet member for public protection, Jerry Wickham said: “It’s clear that these types of events are needed and we hope the advice provided and the free checks will potentially save lives.”

Most of the seats needed adjustments including re-routing the adult seat belt, some seats were not the right kind for the child and others were wrong for the make of car.

In a statement the council said if the effectiveness of the seat was reduced, the likelihood of more serious injury was greater.

Parents and guardians of children are legally required to fit their car with an appropriate car seat for the age and weight of their child. And at each stage of the child’s growth the seat has to be altered to fit.

Coun Wickham added: “If people are unsure if their seats are correctly fitted or not I’d urge them to contact the manufacturer or retailer for advice and, at the very least, get some peace of mind.”

The safety checks took place during Child Safety Week, organised by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, to raise awareness of the risks of child accidents and how they can be prevented.