Many people may be installing infant car seats incorrectly or using them wrong, a new study has found.

The aim of infant car seats is to reduce the risk of injuries and death if an accident occurs. It is estimated that if these seats are used correctly, the risk of infant death and injury can be reduced by over 70%.

US researchers decided to assess this further. In 2013 and 2014, they surveyed almost 300 families who were being discharged from hospital with a healthy newborn baby.

Each family was asked to install the car seat if this had not already been done, and then to position their newborn in the seat.

The installation of the seats and the positioning of the babies were then evaluated by a certified car safety technician.

The study revealed that a massive 95% of families had made at least one error in the use of these car seats. And among these, 91% had made what was deemed a serious error.

The most common errors included the seats being too loose, the chest clip being too low on the child and the recline angle being incorrect.

Furthermore, the study found that even though 15% of the families had worked with a car safety technician to have the seat installed, 83% of these still displayed at least one error in the use of the seat.

Those most likely to have used the seats incorrectly included people with lower education levels and those with a lower socioeconomic status.

Commenting on the findings, the researchers said that infant car seats ‘are much more difficult to use correctly than they should be'.

"Vehicle and car seat manufacturers must work together to develop systems that are easier for consumers to use and understand. Further, health systems should provide resources and support both before and after birth, especially to the most vulnerable infants, to ensure the safe use of car seats," they added.

Details of these findings are published in The Journal of Pediatrics.