A high percentage of parents ensure that their child is as safe as possible when it comes to travelling in their vehicles and a large percentage do in fact fit a child safety seat in their vehicle.

However, it is still surprising that so many parents go to the expense and trouble of selecting and buying the best car seat that they can get for their requirements but still end up installing it incorrectly.

Incorrect fitting of a car seat for your child will certainly not provide your child with maximum safety in the event of an accident and could actually cause more harm depending on how you have misfitted it.

This article is a general guide to correctly and safely installing a forward facing car seat in your vehicle using the LATCH system.

It should be used as guidance only as you should consult any installation differences with the manual of your particular car safety seat.

The LATCH belt should be fed through the specific opening of the child car seat.

Ensure that any fitting belts are run freely and not caught up.

The seat should at this point be in the upright position.

Adjustable stands should be locked into position at their closed position.

To ensure that you secure the belt correctly and easily you should fully take out the belt.

Install the safety seat to the LATCH points of your vehicle using the car connections.

The seat should be checked to ensure that it is safely fitted to the LATCH connectors.

Exert pressure onto the child seat and pull the belts as hard as possible.

At this point your child car seat should now be securely fitted into the LATCH mechanism.

Once the seat is fitted, there should not be any unnecessary movement.

Move the car seat from side to side and also from back to front to ensure that there is not any or very minimal movement.

If you do find that the baby seat does move to much in any direction, simply check that the necessary belts are tightened properly.

The seat tether belt will further reduce movement.

All belts and straps once fitted should not be twisted and should lay flat, particularly ones that pass through connecting openings.

Once your child car seat has been firmly and securely fitted in the forward facing position using the vehicles LATCH system in line with the manufacturer's instructions, you child can travel in the full safety that your safety seat provides.

Every now and then check that your child's seat is still secure and firmly fitted into a secure position.

Hopefully this guide has given you a better understanding of safely fitting your child's car seat and hopefully will safeguard your child more in the future.

It has concentrated on the use of the LATCH system as this is far the most common method that customers of car seats use and this number will continue to expand as the LATCH system compatibility increases.

Some people still fit their child safety seats into their vehicles using the vehicles seat belts, for a number of reasons.

LATCH connection points are only available on newer model cars.

If this is the case with you, then you should follow the simple manual instructions that came with the seat, so that your car seat is safely secured and fitted into your vehicle and also provides your child with maximum safety in the event of an accident.

New babies should be put in a car seat appropriate for their age and weight in the forward facing position.

You booklets that came with your small baby's seat should be followed for the best rear facing fitting advice and instructions in the rear position.