The Government has taken up a major campaign to fit child car seats properly after seeing evidence from a similar initiative in the Express and Echo.

A long-running campaign by the newspaper is raising awareness of the issue and teaches people how to fit child seats correctly.

The road safety officer for Devon, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Over the last few years there have been more than 100 children under the age of five injured as passengers in cars in Devon.

“This number exceeds the total injuries for this age group for all other modes of transport combined – including pedestrians.”

The Exeter paper launched its Sit Tight and Be Safe campaign in 1998 and carried out a series of roadshows aimed at parents.

The raodshows gave alarming results, with the majority of car seats tested failing safety tests.

The newspaper presented evidence about the issue to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott while he was on a visit to Exeter.

And after agreeing to consider the evidence the Government has finally launched its own campaign, which will get the message to parents in Devon and all around the country.

Transport minister Lord Whitty said: “Children are still being killed and injured in car accidents because they are not restrained properly.

“It is vital that anyone who drives with young children in the car knows how to use the child car seat correctly.

“Spending a bit more time getting the right car seat and getting to know how it works could save your child from becoming a victim needlessly.”

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