THE ISLE of Wight Council's road safety team has teamed-up with Halfords to advise parents and drivers on fitting child safety seats in their cars correctly.

The event follows a car safety day held in the spring at the Newport store when it was revealed that more than 80 per cent of safety seats checked were incorrectly fitted or unsuitable for the vehicle or the child.

Brian Crane, the council's principal road safety officer, said he was deeply concerned, although not surprised, at the high number of drivers who were fitting seats incorrectly in their cars.

He said: "All drivers undergoing the inspection thought safety seats for children were essential, but many were equally surprised when told that their seat was either incorrectly fitted, or not suitable for the vehicle or indeed the child they were carrying."

The road safety team, together with a team of trained advisors and fitters from Halfords, will be on hand on Saturday and Sunday, November 23 and 24, giving drivers an opportunity to have their exisiting child seats tested in their own car, free of charge.

Moreover, if drivers do not already have a child safety seat in their car, Halfords have a "try before you buy" service helping concerned parents and motorists to make an informed decision.

Also, an informative, full colour leaflet will be available for those who want information about the benefits of having the correct child safety seat fitted in their car and how it could save lives.

The leaflet comprises essential information on child safety seats and a pocket guide for recording important information about a child's weight, height and first words spoken and when they wore their first grown-up seat-belt.