CHILD RESTRAINT FAQS
If I travel interstate, do the same laws apply?
Yes. Just like seatbelt laws, drivers can
incur fines or lose points if passengers
under seven years are found not wearing an
approved child restraint.
Can I use a second-hand restraint?
Restraints older than 10 years should not be
used. Check the manufacture date printed
on the side of the restraint. Don’t use a
restraint that has been involved in a crash
or if you don’t know its history. It’s also a
good idea to avoid using restraints that look
worn, have broken buckles or a cracked or
discoloured plastic shell.
Can I use a child restraint that was bought
overseas?
No. Child restraints bought overseas do not
comply with Australian Standards. Also,
Australian vehicles have a unique top tether
strap anchorage system, which is compatible
only with Australian Standard-approved child
restraints.
Can my child sit in the front seat?
A child under four years of age cannot sit in
the front of a car if there is more than one
row of seats, even if they are large enough to
fit in a booster seat.
A child between four years of age and under
seven years of age cannot sit in the front
of a vehicle that has more than one row of
seats unless the other rows are occupied by
younger children in approved child restraints.
If the car only has one row of seats (e.g.
a single-cab ute or sports car with a front
anchorage point), a child of any age can sit
in the front seat provided they are properly
restrained.
Note:
you can only fit a booster seat in the
front row of a vehicle if that booster seat
does not require a top tether strap.
Child restraints
All children under seven years of age must
be secured in an approved child restraint
or booster seat when travelling in a vehicle.
(Approved restraints are labelled with an
Australian Standards sticker.)
Newborn babies up to six months of age
must be restrained in a rearward-facing
restraint. Children from six months up to four
years of age must be restrained in either a
rearward-facing or forward-facing restraint
with an inbuilt harness. For children from four
years to up to seven years of age, a forward-
facing restraint, with an inbuilt harness, or
booster seat must be used.
Seatbelts
Wearing a correctly adjusted seatbelt
reduces your chance of serious injury or
death in a car crash. This is true whether you
are sitting in the front seat or the back seat
and it is the reason that, by law, everyone
must wear a seatbelt in Australia. As well as
fastening your own seatbelt, always check
those of other passengers and children in
the vehicle.
If you are in a crash, your seatbelt
protects you by:
z
z
reducing your risk of being thrown
from the vehicle
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z
holding you in the position where
you receive the most benefit from
protective devices such as airbags
z
z
reducing your risk of being thrown
around inside the vehicle and injuring
yourself and other occupants
z
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reducing your likelihood of hitting
other objects within the vehicle such
as the back windscreen, front seats
and light fixtures.
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