IT'S a car-tastrophe for safety.

Leading baby website, Kiddicare.com, has found that nearly half of British parents fail to check the kids' car seats that go with their hire car abroad.

Of the 2,400 parents surveyed, 54 per cent don't check that the hire company has fitted the seat correctly and 46 per cent fail to check if the seats meet tough European safety standards.

So to redress the balance, Kiddicare have issued some helpful tips for parents thinking of renting cars abroad. Here are their top 5 do's and don'ts.

Top Tips for Car Seat Safety

1) Be sure to request a car seat when you make your online booking. And make sure you are specific about your child's age and weight as this will affect what type of seat you will need. During the holiday season, car seats can be in high demand, so get in there early!

2) Get your car seat reservation in writing and take the proof with you. It might be helpful to make sure that you have a copy of the reservation in the language of the country you are visiting. You can request this from the hire company.

3) Ensure that the hire company know what they are doing. A poorly fitted car seat is almost as bad as no car seat. Get the hire company to send you a copy of the fitting instructions, complete with the make and model of the seat, so that you can check that it has been fitted correctly.

4) Bring sun blinds with you. There are very few car hire companies that will provide these for you. Children in full sunshine can easily become dehydrated and uncomfortable.

5) Some car hire companies charge for extra car seats. If you need to reduce the cost of your holiday or if you are at all worried about the safety of a hire company's seats, then it might be better to take your own seat with you. At least you can easily check that these are up to European Safety Standards.