Motorists with young children have been issued a warning as a simple mistake could see them hit with a fine, according to experts.
While younger babies must always be placed in a car seat, some might not realise how long the seats are required by law for. In Scotland, a child must remain in a car seat until they are either aged 12 or 135cms tall.
The experts at Kiddies Kingdom have warned that those who fail to meet these requirements can face a fine of up to £500, plus three points on their licence.
Jumaimah Hussain, Showroom Manager at Kiddies Kingdom comments: "you must be using a registered car seat, so no pushchair carrycots allowed.
"Babies should always travel in a rear facing car seat and they’re officially allowed forward face at 15 months of age.
"However, it is recommended to keep them rear facing as long as possible for maximum safety."
There are some notable exceptions to this law. For example, if you are in a taxi, no car seat is needed and the same goes for a minibus, coach or van if there is no room for a car seat.
Jumaimah adds: "These laws are set in place for the safety of you and your children. Keep clued up on the latest laws and regulations so you don’t find yourself with licence points, a hefty fine, or potential harm to you, your child or others on the road."
The advice comes after a separate warning issued by the RAC urged motorists to take better care of their vehicles as millions were failing MOTs with "dangerous" faults.
Of around 7.3 million MOT failures, some 2.4 million receive a fail where at least one dangerous defect had been found.
In these most serious cases, where an examiner states a vehicle cannot be driven until that defect is repaired, brakes and tyres are the most common culprits.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: "Drivers should never ignore dashboard warning lights as they could end up putting themselves or others at risk and costing themselves a lot of money with a bigger repair bill than necessary had they acted straightaway."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
