Child Car Seats

Injuries and deaths due to car crashes can be significantly reduced by using child car seats.

Rules for Child car seat

Children aged under 7 years must use an approved suitable child car seats when traveling in a vehicle. A child restraint is a seat designed to protect children from being injured in car crashes. Vehicle seat belts, child seats, and booster seats must meet the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754.

Preferable child car seat

It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that children under 7 yeras are secured in appropriate child car seats.
Children from 1 month to less than 6 months old should be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.
Young children aged 6 months to 4 years, can use a forward-facing or a rear-facing car seat. They must have an inbuilt harness.
For children 4 or older till 7, the use of a forward-facing child car seat is preferable. 
Children aged 7 and over who cannot use seatbelt should use an anchored safety harness or approved booster seat.

Fitting child car seats

Car seats should be fitted according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The car seats should be adjusted tightly. And it should be attached to one of the four anchorage points designed for child car seats. To ensure the safest fit for your child, it’s recommended you visit an approved restraint fitter.

Fitting booster seats

Booster seats are required to be used with either an approved child safety harness or  standard lap-and-sash type seatbelt. It’s strongly prohibited to use a booster seat with a lap seatbelt only. Booster seats of more than 2 kg (4.4 lbs) must be secured with straps or to an anchorage point.

Children in the front seat
Children younger than 4 years –
Should not be in the front of a vehicle with 2 or more rows of seats
Must be used in the front passenger position only if it has one row of seats and the vehicle is equipped with the appropriate child car seat
Children, who are 4 to 7 years old, must not sit in the front seat of a two- or three-row vehicle unless there is no available seat. It’s important for them to use an approved child car seat that is suitable for their size and age.

Exemptions

Traveling by a tow truck

A child aged under 12 months will be able to travel in a tow truck after the event of a car accident or a vehicle breakdown. A passenger can take the child in their laps if they don’t have a suitable child car seat. If a tow truck has more than one row of seats, they should sit in the back seat.

Traveling by taxi

When traveling by taxi –
Children must use a rear-facing child car seat up to the age of 6 months.
For children under the age of 12 months, either a forward-facing seat or a rear-facing child seat with an inbuilt harness must be used.
Children over the age of 12 months must use a rollover-style seatbelt or use a seat cushion that can be used with a lap belt.
In order to use your own child seat or booster, simply ask your taxi driver to hook it up when you book. All taxis are required to have a child restraint anchorage point.

The medical conditions and disability

Children with a medical condition or disability who are less than seven years old are allowed to use an alternative child restraint that has been designed for them. Individuals should carry a doctor’s note stating that they are eligible for being restrained under this policy.

Penalties for not using child car seats

You can get a fine and demerit points if you drive with children aged under 16 years and they are not using an appropriate child restraint. Proper use of a child car seat can reduce the chance of  injury or death of in a car crash.

Frequently Asked Questions