By law (within Victoria, Australia) the driver is responsible for all passengers under 16 years of age. This means that the legal burden for correct child restraint is solely that of the driver, regardless of whether they are the child’s legal guardian.
Infant Restraints and Capsules
Road safety authorities recommend obtaining and fitting a restraint well before your baby is due to be born, as some older model vehicles require special accessories or retrofitting in order properly fit a restraint. When selecting a restraint it is therefore important to consider the following:
- Will the restraint fit the vehicle?
- Does the vehicle’s seatbelt allow correct attachment of the restraint in the position desired?
- Is there sufficient head clearance to lift the baby in and out of the restraint easily?
- Will the restraint affect the comfort of the other passengers in the vehicle?
Infant restraints are suitable for children up to 9 or 12 kilograms. It is important to always follow manufacturer’s instructions as an improperly fitted restraint may not protect a child in the event of a crash.
Restraints for sale or hire must carry the Standards Australia AS/NZS1754 sticker. Restraints over 10 years old should not be used.
*Do not use a rear facing restraint in a position vulnerable to being hit by an exploding airbag.
Child Car Seats
The next step in child safety restraints are suitable for use from the time the child has good head control and weighs a minimum of 8-9 kilograms. Where possible, keep the child in a rearward facing position up to 12 kilograms, if your restraint allows, as this is the safest position. A child car seat should be utilized until the child grows out of the restraint or exceeds 18 kilograms.
Booster Seats
Suitable for children who weigh between 14 and 26 kilograms, booster seats ideally should not be used until a child is old enough to understand not to play with the seatbelt.
A booster seat is held in place by the weight of the child and the vehicles lap/ sash belt. It is important to ensure that the sash of the seatbelt does not rub against the child’s neck and sits across the shoulder. In the instance where a lap only belt is available, a harness must be used to safely hold the child’s head and shoulders back.
A booster seat should be used until the child’s eyes are level with the top of the vehicle’s seatback, the top of the booster, or the head rest – whichever is the highest.
When selecting your booster seat, remember that a booster with a back offers more protection in a crash.
Adult Lap/Sash Belts
Once a child has outgrown a booster, it is important to consider that the backseat offers over 30% more protection than the front. As we all know children prefer to ride in the front but where possible use the backseat first – it’s safest.
As younger passengers are more vulnerable, avoid seating children in a position that has a lap belt only. A combination lap/sash belt is better and safer.
When carrying multiple children in a vehicle, remember, no seatbelt is designed to restrain more than one person at a time. It is not safe to put two children into one seatbelt.
It is important that children always wear their seatbelt. The best way of ensuring this is by setting a good example of always buckling up too.
Reference: "Choosing and Using Restraints". VicRoads. 2007
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