This €12.50 Irish Invention Could Save Your Child’s Life

Have you ever had to stop the car to re-buckle your toddler's safety belt? A simple invention designed by two Irish sisters could stop the problem for good... for just €12.50.  Kids love to press buttons, but an open safety belt is dangerous in two ways; the child is no longer safe in the car and a loose child in the back seat is a major driver distraction for parents. Beltlock is a little plastic gadget that fits over the safety-belt receiver and prevents the opening of the safety-belt, securing and locking the car seat or booster seat in place. When you need to remove the car seat, Beltlock can be easily opened by inserting a key between the slots to press the red button.   The idea was sparked when Denise Mac Giolla Rí, a lecturer in Creativity, was telling her sister, Sheena Kenny, about an incident where her older child mistakenly opened the buckle holding the baby’s car seat. This resulted in the car seat sliding forward when she stopped at a junction. Sheena, a crèche manager had experienced a similar incident with her own children. The sisters resolved to find a solution and, working with their husbands and their cousin, Eoghan, a product designer and engineer, invented the Beltlock. Mum Jeanette Ebanks commented: "This is a must for any parent. I have finally found a way to stop my four year old from getting his seat belt off, even tried it on my sister who is 26 and she couldn't work out how to get it off :-)." Sue Farrow added: "This item is a god send. A fantastic product that has taken away the worry of my son ever unclipping his seatbelt on the motorway again. This clips on easily on the seat belt buckle so the child cannot press the eject button. Easy to use. It also can be removed just as easy." Beltlock is suitable for:

• Rear facing Baby seat
• Combination seat (rear and forward facing)
• Forward facing child seat

Beltlock is not suitable for use with:

• Booster seats or booster cushions

To order a Beltlock for your car, click here.