New national car seat safety laws announced
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
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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?
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.
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?
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.
Cassie the 5 point harness in the hi-pod is only tested to 18kg after which it has to convert to a booster with H-harness. My 2.5yo is 21kgs and i have a hi pod senator but with a h harness, am i breaking the law now??? its too confusing for the above average or below average child
http://babytoday.com.au/shop/car-seat-safety-3-724.html
This page has really good information on the new car seat laws that I found easy to understand.