I’m a child safety pro & you’ve been using your pram wrong – the seven steps to ensure your child is ALWAYS secure
A CHILD safety expert has shared her top seven tips to ensure your baby's pram is always secure.
Kirsty Ketley, parent consultant and Co-founder of , first explained that "all prams, strollers, buggies, and pushchairs must comply with British Standard 7409:1996 or BS EN 1888:2003".
"These standards lay out the requirements for all pushchairs/prams that are used to carry babies or children," she said.
But once you've made sure that your pram does comply to these regulations, there is a seven-step routine to follow to ensure the pram is absolutely as safe as possible.
Check the brakes
"It should be easy to apply and you should always use it when you stop the pushchair," Kirsty said.
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Check the tyres
"Tyre wear can affect the brakes and can make it harder to push, so check them regularly," she added.
Check the locking devices are working properly
";Pushchairs should have two locking devices to hold them securely when being used," Kirsty explained.
"Once the main lock has been released in order to collapse your pushchair, the secondary lock should be activated to stop the pushchair from collapsing straight away.
"There should be no areas where your child's fingers could get caught in the collapsing mechanism."
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Unfolding and collapsing
"Pushchairs should always be put up with your child out of reach," Kirsty stressed.
"Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when unfolding and collapsing the pushchair.
"And always check that the two locking devices are fully locked before putting your baby into the pushchair."
Get the correct harness
"It is best to buy a pushchair with a five-point safety harness, rather than a three-point version," Kirsty advised.
"The five-point harness should fit over your child's shoulders, as well as around his waist, and between his legs.
"All children, including newborns, need to wear a harness while in their pushchair."
Check the harness
This needs to be done on a regular basis, Kirsty said.
"There should be no tears in the straps, and always make sure your baby/child wears it to prevent them tipping over the side or falling out as you go up and down a kerb," she explained.
Don't overload it
"Buying a wide-based pushchair means that it will be more stable than a narrow-based one, so it's less likely to tip easily," Kirsty said.
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"But try not to overload the pushchair with bags, regardless of how stable the pushchair seems.
"The pushchair could still tip backwards and too much weight can ruin the suspension."
