VAT on children's car seats may be reduced in order to promote their wider use and save lives, according to the Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen.
He yesterday promised to raise the issue with the Minister for Finance, Mr Cowen, during the current Estimates process.
In the UK, where VAT on car seats is 5 per cent, nine out of 10 parents strap their children into the back seat. In Ireland, however, where VAT stands at 21 per cent, only four out of 10 parents use child restraints.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), which has published a new booklet on the selection and fitting of appropriate car seats, up to six children's lives could be saved each year through their universal use.
"Parents would not willingly put their children's lives in danger. But that's exactly what they are doing when they allow them to travel unrestrained in a car," according to the chairman of the NSC, Mr Eddie Shaw.
He pointed out that four out of every five children killed on the roads were found not to have been using a child restraint or seatbelt. UK research has also found that most parents pick the wrong seat for their child's weight or fit it incorrectly.
Speaking after he launched the NSC booklet, Mr Cullen said the figures showed the need for parents to change "bad habits".
He reminded drivers they face up to four penalty points on conviction if they fail to ensure passengers aged under-17 are adequately restrained.Mr Cullen said he wouldn't rule out legislation to make the use of restraints compulsory. "I would look at legislation if it is necessary to go so far to ensure everyone wears belts. But I'd prefer if it was voluntary." He also called on car manufacturers to ensure their seat-belts were standardised, so as to make it easier for parents to fit carseats for their children.
Dr Alf Nicholson, a Drogheda-based paediatrician, pointed out that one-third of all injuries to children in the EU are sustained in car accidents. Major improvements had been achieved in the Louth-Meath region, he said, through the use of ante-natal classes to educate parents about the issue.
Car seats: Dos and Don'ts
