New national car seat safety laws announced

Naomi | Mar 04, 2008 | Comments

Car safety for children is an important issue for all parents. Currently 500 children under the age of ten are killed or seriously injured every year in car accidents with a further 2,300 receiving minor injuries.

Last week, Transport Ministers from around Australia announced unanimous support for new national child car restraint laws.

Babies up to six months of age must be in a rear-facing infant capsule, then in a forward facing car seat until four years of age and then in a booster seat from four to seven years of age.

Up to the age of four, children must be restrained in the back seat of the car. Children between four and seven years old must not be seated in the front seat unless all backseats are taken up with younger children.

Remember to make sure your child’s restraint is appropriate for her weight and height, that it meets Australian Standards, and that it is installed correctly.

The new laws use the child’s age as the best guide as parents will know their child’s age but may not be aware of their height or weight, however the safest position for small babies to travel in is facing backwards, so it is important to leave her in her rear-facing car-seat or capsule until she reaches the upper weight limit before moving her into a forward facing restraint.

Useful links:
CHOICE Child car rest

Australian Transport Safety Bureau – Simple Guide to Child Restraints

NRMA Q&A on Child and Infant restraints

Belletoni Association for child passenger safety – types of child restraints

naomi.png

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Filed Under: Family

  • Rod hannig
    Does a booster seat for a child between 4-7 need to have a 5 point harness fitted by the manufacturer (already fitted to the seat) or can you buy a booster seat without a harness and add the harness later?
  • Kively09
    I think the new laws are great, they should be enforced, like if the police pull over someone they can get a hefty fine, as they not keeping their children safe. Good on them for the new law. I just brought a booster seat for my 3 year old which comes with a harness and I am having another baby in 6 weeks, so I have been reorganizing her old car seat and it is still in good nick. So for everyone out there make sure your children are well restraint, your children s life will be in danger if not probably restrained.
  • Liz
    I have a four year old who is very petite and weighs just 12kg.
    Does this mean we will be in the car seat for mant years to come?
  • Louise
    Hi,

    I am trying to find out why it is recommended to stop using the Safe-n-Sound Maxi Rider inbuilt 5 point harness once a child reaches 18kg. My 4 year old still fits perfectly in the seat and seems very safely restrained by the 5 point harness, but has just reached 18.5kg.

    Do I need to stop using the 5 point harness and start using either a separate harness or the lap sash belt?

    Thanks x
  • Sergey
    Seat producer are probably happy to get more revenue. We do not care about educationg drives to prevent car accidents but only how " safley to get involved into it", we do not care about old unsafe cars on aroads or stupid and arrogant drivers who does not know how to use indicators we found easy way... revenue way covering it by "care" about children. Revenue is first!!
  • april
    Hi all,

    Am actually wondering about the status of the new regulation about child car seats.

    Kirsty wrote on March 28, in 2 posts above: "Although we have some of the safest restraints n the world, the law use to only actually apply to under 1 yo, after that it was all up the parent to use a “suitable restraint”. So use your head, and keep it safe!!!"

    I will be traveling to australia for a holiday sometime in August with 2 young children - 6 yr old weighing 18kg and 33 mth weighing 12kg. Because we are flying in from another country, carrying in our existing seats would be very unwise. We are therefore looking to hire a car and get relevant seats. But would like to keep the hassel to just comply purely to government requirements. Coming back to Kirsty's quote above, is it really true that the law - meaning what authorities will only impose - is applicable to children 12 months and below? And that would mean my 2 children will not be subjected to using car seats purely based on the law?

    Please advise?
  • Tamika
    I am expecting my first child in 10 weeks, i understand a child cannot be in the front seat in a rear facing restraint when an air bag is fitted but does anyone know about single cab utes that have not got a back seat and are not fitted with a passenger air bag?.
  • Kirsty
    Oh, and one last thing... all this is great, but if people don't make sure their children keep their arms in their restraints, or that the restraint is fitted securely at all times... then the restraint is almost useless. I have been fitting restraints for 4 years and people worry so much about whether to buy the $150 seat or $600 top of the range, and it is about so mucch more than that! If you are unsure... find a qualified fitter! It can be a simple thing, but sooo worth it.
  • Kirsty
    Hi, You have all hitted on some clear problems many can see. The problem was that it needed to bekept simple. It is written in the law that that a child under 4 is cleary excempt from being in a "car seat" and may then go onto a booster. The same as a 6 year old over the 26kgs. Once they outgrow the seat appropriate for the age, they may move up and it is not against the law (for obvious reasons.) One of the tings this law is trying to prevent is paernts of 18month olds who are just over the 14kgs mark (which is where boosters have been tested to comply from) putting their child in a booster to make the car seat avail for the new baby. people were too fast to advance their children on. If a child is too tall for a car seat (based on eye level above the back of the seat, not head touching over the top) then they can move up. To some it would appear easier to make it by height and weight, but then people would be all oer the place. The other best law they have introduced is a child 4-7 can not sit in the front seat unless all rear seats have been taken up by under 4 yolds.

    Although we have some of the safest restraints n the world, the law use to only actually apply to under 1 yo, after that it was all up the parent to use a "suitable restraint". So use your head, and keep it safe!!!
  • Alana M
    Jen,
    To Quote you---"I finished the booster with him because he’s so tall and his head was taller than the back of the seat. In the event of a crash it would have been bad for his head and neck. He still sits in the back and wears a harness because he’s still not quite tall enough for just a seatbelt."
    You clearly state his 'head was taller than the backseat'....You then go on to say 'he's still not quite tall enough for just a seatbelt'... ...I Wonder ...does his head have to be popping out through the roof for him to be considered tall enough for a seatbelt?...Or maybe you were just making that up :)
  • Suzanne
    Link: http://www.petitiononline.com/AU2008/petition.html

    "To: Standards Australia & car seat related companies
    "With the pending law changes for child restraint use in Australia requiring children under 4 years and 20kgs to be restrainted in a 5 point car seat, as well as children 4-7 years to be restrained in a booster seat, as well as parents and caregivers who want their children restrained by the integral harness for longer than 20kgs, this petition hereby requests Britax Australia (sold in AU & NZ) to import or manufacutre a car seat that allows children to be restrained longer than 4 years and 20kgs, as parents would like and aside from the 18kg limit currently set by AU standards.

    By signing this petition, you join the movement in requesting/wanting Britax AU to import or manufacture a child restraint (similar to the Britax Regent or Frontier) for children to be harnessed beyond 18/20kgs. "

    Sincerely,

    The Undersigned "

    Please add your name (to the link above), let your friends know and spread the word around, does anyone know how many sigs we should aim for?

    Thanks.





    Suzanne



    http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Internet...



    http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Internet...
  • Sarah
    OOPs. I mean a 2.5yr old not a 205year old! Sorry.
  • Sarah
    GnT & Alana,

    The problem as I understand it (I have a 205yr old that is 17.5kg's so this is becoming an issue for us too) is that the proposed law is to be that children under 4yrs are the be in a car seat, (ie with inbuilt 5 point harness), the maxi-rider even with protecta harness and anti-sub clip is coutned as a booster, not a car seat as the seat is a convertible car seat / booster seat. There are NO car seats in australia that have in built harnesses rated t omore than 18kg (due to australian standards) even though the britax regent (USA) is rated to 32kg on the in built harness and is considered a car seat not a booster, as in sweden (I believe) they have seats that remain rear facing until 4yrs, which in rear facing mode have a top tether and a tether that anchors to the floor in the rear footwell of the vehicle, once again I believe that sweden has far better statics than AUS when it comes to child safety in cars, they kill and seriously injury signicifantly lower numbers of children each year than we do here in AUS in vehicle accidents. (So I am led to believe).
  • cassie
    You can actually get a proper car seat that has a built in 5 point harness that goes up to 26kg. we have one for our son who is 2 1/2 yrs.
    The brand is Hipod, found at target.
  • alana
    you can buy a safe and sound maxi rider that goes from 8kg-22 or 26 can't remember now, but it gets them thorough to when they are allowed in a booster or normal seat. i have just bought one for my toddler so the new baby can have his. it will last us for years.
  • Dyan
    "GnT - The laws sound great, but you cannot buy a forward facing car seat for a child over 18 kg. My 18 kg 3 year old has to be in a booster, so we would be breaking these new laws"
    _______________________________________

    GnT - Have you checked out Safe'n'Sound's Maxi Rider? True, it is a forward facing seat with an inbuilt harness suitable up to 18kg, but it then converts to a "booster" with a 14kg - 26kg rating simply by removing the harness and installing the included anti-submarining attachment - use it with your adult seatbelt. Might be a suitable option for you??
  • Anne
    Have these laws been implemented yet, If not when do they come in? I have 4 children aged between 1 and 3.
  • jen
    I only read about the new laws in my motoring magazine last night then I found this. My son has been out of a booster for about 2 years - he's nearly 7. I finished the booster with him because he's so tall and his head was taller than the back of the seat. In the event of a crash it would have been bad for his head and neck. He still sits in the back and wears a harness because he's still not quite tall enough for just a seatbelt.
    By the time the new laws take effect my son will be 7 and I won't have to worry about getting a mega expensive booster seat for him, if I could find one.
  • GnT
    The laws sound great, but you cannot buy a forward facing car seat for a child over 18 kg. My 18 kg 3 year old has to be in a booster, so we would be breaking these new laws.
  • Dannielle
    You can buy a Safe and Sound Maxirider which goes up to 26kg, and if the child is under the height restriction you can use their included harness, or buy the protecta harness. I think this is one of the few seats on the market that you can do this with. Not exactly sure how it fits with the law though!
  • The new laws are great, but it would be event better if they we able to ratify the ISOFIX standard for car seats as well. This would bring us into line with much of the rest of the world, making car seats more affordable.

    But hey, what price for saftey.
  • Cat
    I welcome the new laws as well. I can't believe the number of people who still risk their kids safety.
  • That's a good policy...I hope those policy will be well applied to minimize car accident especially for the children.
  • I welcome these new laws.
    Child safety encompasses every single thing we do with our children and it is high time that all parents buckle up to child safety.
  • Heather
    All very well, but are they going to be policed?
blog comments powered by Disqus
« Previous Post
Next Post »