Road safety is a family matter and best taught in the home, according to a survey of parental attitudes to child safety.
The survey, conducted from interviews with over 500 parents with children aged 10 and under, found 97 per cent of parents agreed it was their job to teach their children about road safety.
The opinion was consistent across all demographic groups except younger parents in the 17-24 years age segment - a significant number of whom felt that primary responsibility for road safety education should rest with Government.
The survey also found almost 90 per cent of parents feel it is their responsibility to ensure that their child's car seating complies with seat restraint regulations.
But almost 50 per cent of respondents admitted to having driven or been in a car in which the child was not restrained.
The study - commissioned for Texaco to coincide with a road safety initiative aimed at young children - found 90 per cent of parents have a booster seat or child restraint in their vehicle.
Typically those with children under three years of age were likely to have installed this equipment than those with older children. But only one in five parents admitted to having little knowledge recent legislation regarding the use of booster seats.
The survey reported there was a belief among many parents, especially those over 45, that drivers who become distracted and allow their attention to be diverted away from the road and onto a child in the vehicle are a primary contributor to collisions where children are involved.
