One in seven parents in Britain are unwittingly risking their children`s safety by prematurely placing them into forward-facing car seats, a study has warned.

Rear-facing child seats are up to five times safer than those facing forward, the Daily Mail reported citing earlier studies.

The latest study has called for ministers and manufacturers to make the `safer` rear-facing child seats more available for infants aged from nine months to four years old.

As per the government, parents must, by law, use rear-facing seats for babies weighing up to 13 kg -- up to nine months old.

Ministers say they are working on new rules to make it in future `a requirement` to have rear-facing child seats up to the higher age of 15 months.

The report by car sale website Motors.co.uk calls on the government, retailers and manufacturers to take more responsibility in educating parents on children`s car seats.

`Despite numerous studies stating that rear facing car seats are up to five times safer for children, our research exposes a shocking lack of awareness, information and availability of rear facing car seats in the UK,` the report said.

Source: IANS
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