When it comes to keeping a home safe for toddlers most modern day fathers are active accident busters who no longer lag behind mums, according to new research revealed today, although there are still the ‘it’s inevitable’ shoulder shruggers.

The survey of 1,920 UK parents of children under five, from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), found that 88 per cent of fathers with children under five take steps to prevent accidents in the home, but the remaining 12 per cent don’t take any measures whatsoever.

Of the dads who don’t take any measures whatsoever, 70 per cent said it was because they thought accidents are inevitable and ‘nothing to worry about’. More than half considered it the job of their child’s mother to keep the house safe for children and nine per cent weren’t actually sure what measures to take. But with over 100,000 children admitted to hospital* every year following an accident, it’s important that both mums and dads do their bit to help keep their children safe in the home.

While nearly a third of mums considered dads to have a ‘lax’ attitude when it comes to home safety, the study revealed that in fact 88 per cent are home safety heroes who recognise that taking some simple actions could save their child from a severe injury.  Of this number, 66 per cent consider their approach to be ‘thorough’ and 41 per cent said they are more ‘hands on’ than their own fathers.

The most popular safety measures taken by dads include:

63 per cent put medicine out of sight and reach of young children or locked in a cupboard
55 per cent are always present when young children are in the bath and 47 per cent test bath water and run cold water first before hot
55 per cent have fitted safety gates on stairs and 55 per cent have fitted smoke alarms in their homes
43 per cent never leave hot drinks within reach of small children

Traditionally, it was mum who was in the know when it came to childcare information, but according to the survey modern dads are fast catching up, with the top sources for advice being their own mother, information from online sources such as forums and parents websites. New dads also ask their own fathers for support and advice.

New mothers turn to their own mothers for those pearls of wisdom as well. However, in contrast to modern dads, they receive childcare advice from a range of face-to-face professional sources such as health visitors and midwives. From March 2010 there will be a new ‘Guide For Dads’ in the Bounty Packs given to every expectant mother with information and guidance on a range of childcare topics.

Katrina Phillips, chief executive of CAPT, the UK’s leading charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents, said:

“Bumps and scrapes are inevitable, but it’s serious accidents we need to prevent. In 2007 we ran a similar survey which found that new fathers needed to brush up on child safety. So it’s great news that in just three years, so many modern dads are now active accident busters. For dads who want to know more, CAPT has a dedicated tips and advice page so dads can make informed decisions about safety.”

Agony aunt Denise Robertson added:

“Over the years I have received hundreds of letters from expectant and new mothers wanting child safety advice, but recently I have started to get  letters from dads too. Today access to information is far greater than 30 years ago when I had my own children, and I would give the same advice to both mums and dads.

“Use your common sense and consult the trusted sources of information which are there for you. There may be some hazards and risks you might not have considered and which can be prevented.”

Any parent looking for advice on ensuring their home is safe for their child should visit www.capt.org.uk/parents