A simple guide to child restraints - Department of Infrastructure and
Contents
1. Australian Government pega Department of Infrastructure Transport Regional Development and Local Government A GUIDE FOR PARENTS WITH CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO 16 YEARS Contents Restraints are IMPOrtant c ccceeeceeeseees 1 UC OM ANG a A A 3 Bapes a a E ie tose cee aeenee 4 Very young cniIldre Me ariere ccceeeeececce eee ee ees 7 Young children and older children 9 Tether strap fittings and anchorages 13 General INforMatiOn ccccccccceesceesceeeceee 15 FUME GTAING iensaumendaccesenesevencssaceeneateessteneeeare 16 Technical advice courtesy of NSW Roads and Traffic Authority RAA of SA Inc RAC of WA Inc RACV RACQ Ltd NRMA Ltd RACT Kidsafe Australia Britax Photographs courtesy of VicRoads and Kidsafe Australia Restraints are important Always use restraints when you drive with children Children can be particularly vulnerable in a car even when they are sitting in the back seat When driving wth Children ensure that they are always correctly restrained even when you dnve slowly dnve carefully take just a short tip You must wear a seat belt even when you are pregnant Children require the appropriate restraint for their size infant restraints for babies newbom to about 6 months or 12 months child seats for very young children fromabout 6 months to 4 years old booster seats and hamesses for young children from abo2. Once your child is too big to use a child seat the child can use a booster raised seat Booster seats position a child to use the car s lap sash seat belt or a child harness Do not nove your child froma child seat to a booster before they have reached the upper weight range of the child seat or are too tall for the restraint and cannot confortably fit There are different types of booster seats available A booster with a back and wings sides offers more protection in a crash than a booster cushion with no back The back and wings will also Support your child while your child sleeps and may also help to keep the sash in the correct place Use the booster for as long as your child fits in the seat or until your child s eyss are at the sane laa as the top of the booster seat Get a booster that suits your child s weight and size The booster comes with all the information that you will need Do not be ten sted to put your child in a restraint that is too big on the gounds that the child will gowinto it Booster with child safety harness and your car s lap only seat belt If you use a booster seat with a lap only seat belt you must also use a child safety hamess The top part of the hamess connects to your car s child restraint anchorage and the two shoulder straps hold the upper part of your child s body The cars lap only seat belt goes through a pair of loops at the other end of the hamess The hamess has an upper pa
3. If you must have your child sit in the front seat wth a front passenger airbag you should make sure that your child sits a safe distance back fromthe airbag If the seat is adjustable nae it rearwards to keep your child away from any danger of a deploying frontal airbag Check that the seat position still allows the seat belt to fit your child correctly The lap belt should touch across the hips and the sash belt should touch across the chest and shoulder WARNING Never allow two children to share a seat belt Never allowan adult and a child to share a seat belt 12 A simple guide to child restraints Tether strap fittings and anchorages A tether strap connects an infant restraint a child seat heavier booster or hamess to your car s anchorage in a solid rretal part of your car Child restraint anchorages in a car are usually in the formof a bolt wth a specially shaped netal bracket or a specially shaped rretal bracket or rod to which the fitting on the tether can be attached To work properly the tether strap must be fastened firmly but not over tightened The tether strap will prevent the restraint from tipping forward or moving sideways in a collision or during a sudden stop Most restraints have a tetherstrap fitting that looks like a hook see picture A The hook shaped fitting attaches to a hole in the anchorage point see picture B Be sure to attach the hook to a propeny fitted child restraint anchorage and not to
4. Tasmania Deparment of Infrastructure Energy and Resources Talephone 1300 135 513 V osite vwwwvtransport tas govau Victoria VicRoads Telephone 1300 360 745 V osite vwwwvuicroads Uc govau Western Australia Child Car Restraint AcMsory Infoline TAephone 1300 780 713 W bosite wwwvchildcarrestraints comau Automobile associations NRMA Ltd Telephone 1300 655 443 Vi bsite vwwwvnitra comau Royal Automobile Association of S A Inc Tdephone 08 8202 4592 4222 V osite vwwwwvraa net Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania Telephone 03 62326 333 344 V bsite vwwwwract comau 16 A simple guide to child restraints Automobile Association of N T Inc Telephone 08 8981 3837 Website www aant com au Royal Automobile Club of W A Inc Telephone 13 17 03 Website www racwa com au Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Ltd Telephone 07 38 72 8926 Brisbane 1800 816 523 all other areas Website www racg com au Royal Automobile Club of Victoria Telephone 03 9790 2190 Website www racv com au Royal Children s Hospital Child Health and Safety Resource Centre Melbourne Telephone 03 9345 5085 Website www rch org au chas Kidsafe www kidsafe com au National office Telephone 02 6290 2243 Hunter Valley Region Telephone 02 4942 4488 Northem Territory Telephone 08 8985 1085 South Australia Telephone 08 8161 6318 Victoria Telephone 02 9251 7725 Au
5. single purpose only facing rearward and cornvertibles Cormentibles face rearward until the baby weighs 9 kg or 12 kg depending on the specific model refer to the packaging and manufacturer s instructions and are then tumed around to face forward Neither kind should be used in vehicle seats that face rearward or sideways Your baby should be left in a rearwarctfacing restraint until the baby reaches the specified weight limt In that position the force of any crash is distributed evenly across the babys torso and the back of the infant restraints wil support and protect the head and neck NEVER fit a rearward facing infant restraint with an airbag in front of it 4 A simple guide to child restraints Where can rent an infant restraint In most states and tenitories you can rent an infant restraint from private companies contrunity goups local councils hospitals See pagss 16 and 17 for further help How do install an infant restraint You must follow all of the manufacturer s instructions when you install the infant restraint Be sure that you understand the correct use of tether straps and anchorages see page 13 If you have any problems ask an approved fitting station to help you see pages 16 and 17 How do use an infant restraint Before you use an infant restraint check that you understand all of the manufacturer s instructions Make sure that you have enough room to place your baby in the
6. child s shoulder If necessary adjust the sash so that it does not touch your child s face head or neck Never tuck the seat belt under your child s armor behind their back IN a crash your child could be injured if you do this If using a hamess make sure that the seat belt and the hamess are finm but not too tight every tine you use them If the hamess is too tight it may pull the lap seat belt upwards from your child s hips If the seat belt or hamess is not fitted properly every tirre it mey not provide protection in a crash Submarining In sore circumstances it has been found that children wearing hamesses or seat belts can slide out from under the straps or submarine during a crash This nay be caused by poor posture or the child slurping in the restraint Sone 10 A simple guide to child restraints booster seats now include anti submarining devices designed to prevent such an occurrence The anti sulbmanining design ney be a formation in the shell of the booster seat or a short webbing strap attached to the booster between the child s legs wth a clip that attaches to the lap portion of the belt to forma crotch strap WARNING Do not move your child fromtheir child seat to a booster before they have reached the upper weight or height range of the child seat Do not use an ordinary cushion as a booster If you use an ordinary cushion your child may slide under the seat belt submarine during a crash D
7. in the front passenger seat if your car has a front passenger airbag The airbag may hurt or kill your baby especially if your infant restraint faces towards the back of your car Even if your car does not have a front passenger airbag your baby is much safer if you place the restraint in the back seat Should install a restraint next to a side impact air bag In Australia there have been no known cases of injury to correctly restrained children from deploying side airbags Side airbags are generally smaller than frontal airbags and consequently pose less risk to small occupants However the manufacturer of your vehicle is the best source of information regarding the proper use of child restraint systerrs near the airbags in your vehicle 6 A simple guide to child restraints Very young children FROM ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD TO 4 YEARS OLD WEIGHT FROM 8 KG TO 18 KG Once your baby reaches the weight or length limt for your rearwarc facing infant restraint the baby can nae to a fomard facing child seat A child seat is a separate seat which is secured in the vehicle Your child is then restrained by the child seat s own hamess Which has the advantage of being specifically designed for a child Rerremtber to follow the manufacturer s instructions every tive When fitting your child seat Before you use your child seat your child should be able to easily support their head with their neck Continue to use your child se
8. restraint If the tether strap is in your wey either separate the tether strap fromthe anchorage or extend the connected tether strap until the tether strap is loose Do not wrap your baby in a blanket or a rug before you place the baby in the restraint The infant restraint has a hamess safety belt for your baby Place the hamess straps over your babys shoulders and between the legs The shoulder straps must not be below the babys shoulders Adjust the hamess until it fits corfortably yet fimdy If you can fit more than one of your fingers between the straps and your baby the hamess is not tight enough If you vish you may now cover your baby with a blanket or a rug Check that the baby can breathe corfortably A simple guide to child restraints 5 If you separated the tether strap fromthe anchorage to make it easier to place the baby in the restraint rerremtber to connect the tether strap again once the baby is placed in the restraint If you extended the tether strap in order to make it loose rerrerntber to adjust the tether strap untl it is fim Do not overtignten Every tne you use the infant restraint check that the tether strap and the hamess are properly connected and firm and that the seat belt is correctly fitted engaged and adjusted As your baby gous you will need to adjust the hamess My car has an airbag for the front passenger Can I put my baby in the front passenger seat Never use an infant restraint
9. any other nearby fitting such as luggage retention fittings The owners manual for your vehicle will provide information on the location and use of child restraint anchorages Oder restraints have a tetherstrap fitting that looks like a keyhole see picture O The key nole shaped fitting attaches to a raised bolt in the anchorage see picture D This type of fitting was superseded in 1993 and spare fittings for this system will no longer be aveilable If possible use a restraint that has a hook shaped fitting see picture A A simple guide to child restraints 13 Anchorages Your car owner s book will show you where the anchorage positions are in your car Check the book to see if you must use extra long bolts Newer cars have at least one anchorage that you can use with hook type straps see picture below If you have an older car you may need to install an anchorage before you can attach a child restraint See pages 16 and 17 for further help If you need to change a fitting so that it suits the anchor hook on your child restraint buy a new anchorage fitting If you have a hatchback or a wagon the anchorage may be located on the back of the vehicle seat the roof or the floor behind the vehicle seat If the anchorage is located there make sure that the tether strap cannot fall or slip into any gap between vehicle Child restraint anchorage If in doubt seek help from a fitting station 14 A simple guide to chi
10. at untl your child weighs 18 kg or your child s shoulders are too wce to fit inside the child seat or your child s shoulders are 25 mmabo e the top adjustrert holes for the hamess Children with disabilities may require a special seat if they cannot easily use a nomal child seat How do install a child seat You must follow all of the manufacturer s instructions when you install a child seat Be sure that you understand the correct use of tether straps and anchorage points see page 13 If you have any problems ask an approved fitting station to help you see pags 16 and 17 Child seats must not be installed on any side or rearwarc facing seats in the vehicle A simple guide to child restraints Convertible restraints Sone infant restraints can be corverted to a child seat Sone of these convertible restraints will suit a baby in the rearwercHfacing position until the baby weighs 12 kg Avoid comverting the restraint to forwarctfacing too earn It is best to wait until your child reaches 9 kg or 12 kg depending on the manufacturer s instructions as the rearmarctfacing position wil provide better protection for an infant in a crash Followall of the manufacturer s instructions when you convert your infant restraint into a child seat If you find this task difficult get help froman approved child restraint fitting station How do lI use a child seat Whenever your child sits in a child seat use the buckle to fast
11. child who is less than 12 months old must use a suitable approved child restraint that is properly fastened and adjusted the restraint must suit your child s weight and size must not be in a front seat if the vehicle has two or nore ros Of seats Children who are 12 months old or older must also be in a suitable approved child restraint OR must wear a seat belt that is properly adjusted and fastened and must not occupy the sane seating position as another passenger hile curent laws permit children to wear seat belts fromthe age of 12 months they will be nuch safer if they use a child restraint that suits their weight and size UOIJEWAOJU 1 19U99 Further help Use these telephone nun bers if you need more infomation or if you wish to locate your nearest approved fitting station Road safety authorities Australian Capital Territory Departrent of Temitory and Municipal Services lephone 02 6207 7236 V osite vwwwtans act govau New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority eleohone 13 22 13 Vi bsite vwwwrta nswgovau Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure Planning and Emronnent Telephone 08 8924 7019 V osite vwwwvipe nt govau Queensland Queensland Transport Telephone 13 23 80 VW bsite wwwvtransport qld govau Queensland Anrbulance Service Telephone 1300 369 003 South Australia Transport SA Telephone 13 10 84 V osite vwwwvtransport sa govau
12. en the hamess straps around your child Make sure that the hamess is finmly fitted in position and the straps are not twisted It is no good having a hamess if it is not correctly adjusted The hamess should fit closely to the child and the hamess buckle should rest lower than the stomach Young children like to take the straps off their shoulders but you must ensure that the Shoulder straps stay on the shoulders at all n s Combination Seats There are child restraints aveilable that work as both a child seat and later as a booster seat These cone wth a built in hamess and a top tether strap The built in hamess neans it can be used as a child car seat untl your Child reaches 18 kg or the child s shoulders are above the top shoulder strap slot At that point the straps can be tucked away and the seat functions as a booster seat alloning your child to use either the vehicle s lap sash belt or a child harmess Like other booster seats see not section page 9 these seats can be used until your child weighs 26 kg or their eyes are in line with the top of the booster seat vehide seat or vehicle headrest Do not nove your child fromthe child seat to a booster before the child has reached the upper weight range of the child seat or is too tall for the hamess and cannot confortably fit 8 A simple guide to child restraints Young children and older children FROM ABOUT 4 YEARS QLD TO 10 YEARS OLD WEIGHT FROM 14 KGTO 32 KG Booster seat
13. hild seat as long as possible before moving to a booster seat and hamess You should continue to use the harness until your child reaches the weigtt limit on the instructions A simple guide to child restraints 11 How do use a child harness Hamesses are sorretimss difficult to use To correctly use a hamess Attach the top part of the hamess to the anchorage Push the seat belt through the correct pair of loops in the hamess Tighten the seat belt while the hamess is loose The seat belt must be finmmand it must sit across the hips before tensioning the hamess tether strap It must not nove up over the albbdorren Next slowly tighten the shoulder straps to remove the slack The hamess must not lift the seat belt up over the albdomen as the hamess tether strap is tightened Older children Your Child should no longer use a booster once their child s eyes are at the sane laa as the back of the booster seat or the vehicle headrest Do not allow your child to use only the adult seat belt too early Do not allow your child to slurp when sitting in a seat belt The lap belt must be on their thighs A lap sash seat belt is nuch safer than just a lap only seat belt Only use a lap only seat belt if you cannot use a lap sash seat belt in the back seat or in the front seat If your child does not weigh nore than 32 kg you can use a lap only seat belt wth a child hamess Children are always Safer in the back seat
14. ir of loops and a lower pair of loops Choose the pair that suit your child s height The lap only seat belt holds the hamess and the booster in place A simple guide to child restraints Make sure that you use the harness the correct way The lap onlhy seat belt must be firmand it must sit across your child s thighs going from hip bone to hip bone It must not move onto your child s abdorren First adjust the lap only seat belt untl it is firm then renne the slack fromthe shoulder straps of the hamess but not so much that the lap belt is moed up onto your child s abdonen Booster with your car s lap sash seat belt Child hamesses must be used to provide torso restraint with a lap only bat but they may also be used with lap sash seat belts to provide better protection in a crash You can purchase a three bar slide gated buckle See picture to allowthe lap sash belts to be threaded through the hamess loops How do I use a booster Sone boosters do not have a tether strap In order to hold the booster in place use either your child safety hamess with your car s lap only seat belt or your car s lap sash seat belt Sone heavier boosters do have a tether strap If your booster has a tether strap it must be attached to the anchorage point in your car Follow the manufacturer s instructions and seek assistance froma fitting station if necessary If using the lap sash seat belt nake sure that the sash goes over your
15. ld restraints General information Standards Australia oho o dee a 2 oie i Before you buy or rent a restraint check that it has the Standards Australia mark see the picture Australian law says that you nust not use a restraint if it does not comply with the Australian Standard perce Overseas restraints do not meet Australian standards unless they have this mark Used restraints If you plan to get a used restraint rerrerrber The restraint must have the Standards Australia mark The restraint must not be rrore than 10 years old You must not use a restraint if it has been ina crash or if it is darraged The straps must not show any signs of wear or danto The plastic shell and the buckle must not be broken cracked or split The buckle and the adjusters must work correctly Check several tines that you can lock and unlock the buckle and You must get instructions that show you how to install the restraint If necessary ask the manufacturer of the restraint to gve you a copy of the instructions If you need nore help contact an approved fitting station see pages 16 and 17 A simple guide to child restraints 15 Child restraints and the law As the driver you must make sure that all child passengers who are up to 16 years Old are suitably restrained You are responsible for their safety IN most states and tenitories the law says that every
16. o not use a booster wth only a lap only seat belt In order to protect your child you rrust also use a child hamess If you do not have a child hamess you must use a lap sash seat belt with the booster Do not use a booster if it raises your child s eelaa above the back of the car seat Never allow the seat belt to be tucked under your child s armor behind their back Never modify the seat or adult seat belt to make it fit Follow all the wamings in the mancufacturer s instructions Child harness Child hamesses are intended for children weighing 14 kg to 32 kg They are inportant because small children have heavy heads and torsos that can be thrown forward Violently in crashes Vth a hamess securing them your child can avoid injuries to the head spine and abdonen Until your child weighs 26kg they should use a booster seat in conjunction with the hamess After that they can use a child hamess without a booster The hamess has two shoulder straps that hold the upper part of your child s body The cars seat belt goes through a pair of loops in the hamess The hamess has an upper pair of loops and a lower pair of loops Choose the pair of loops that suit your child s height Before you buy a hamess make sure that it suits your child s weight The box that contains the Child hamess will have all the information you will need Most hamesses are suitable for children weighing from 14 kg to 32 kg however children should remain in a C
17. stralian Capital Territory Telephone 02 6290 2244 New South Wales Telephone 02 9845 0890 Queensland Telephone 07 3854 1829 Tasmania Telephone 03 6214 8830 Western Australia Telephone 08 9340 8509 1800 802 244 Child Safety Information Line Australian Transport Safety Bureau Website www atsb gov au Information Line Telephone 1800 621 372 Translating and Interpreting Service TIS Telephone Interpreting 24 hour service Telephone 13 14 50 Australian Government Department of Infrastructure Transport Regional Development and Local Government Department of Infrastructure Transport Regional Development and Local Government GPO Box 594 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia Freecall 1800 026 349 www infrastructure gov au Nov2007 DOTARS 50404
18. t belt that is wom properly puts litte pressure on your stomach A seat belt will protect both you and your baby in the event of a crash Without a seat belt the risk is much greater for both baby and nother How should I wear the seat belt Place the lap the lower part of the seat belt Over your upper thighs across your hips below your baby Place the sash the upper part of the seat belt Over your shoulder between your breasts above your baby The photograph shows you howto wear the seat belt correctly A simple guide to child restraints Adueusald Babies NEWBORN TOABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD OR 12 MONTHS OLD MEIGH UP TO 9 KG CR 70 CM IN LENGTH OR 12 KG DEPENDING ON MAM MUM WEIGHT LENGTH NOTED ON THE RESTRAINT You should plan to get an infant restraint before your baby is bom and use the restraint to take your baby horre fromthe hospital The restraint must have the Standards Australia mark see page 15 and you must install the ji i restraint correctly in your car according to the Zs N manufacturer s instructions What type of restraint should I get You can rent or buy several types of infant restraints Before you select your restraint ask yourself Does it Nave the Standards Australia mark Wil it fit in ny cere WII it be easy to use If your baby is already several months old will it suit your babys weight and size There are two kinds of infant restraints
19. ut 4 years old to 1O years old seat belts for older children Alweys take the tine to get your child confortably and correctly strapped in WARNING Each child restraint must be correctly installed and it must have the Standards Australia mark Each child restraint must suit your child s weight and size Children gow at different rates so your child s weight and siz are much nore in portant than your child s age Avoid early promotion do not nwve your child fromone type of restraint to the next before they have reached the top of the weight or height range of the restraint Children should continue to use a suitable child restraint for as long as they fit Continued on next page A simple guide to child restraints 1 Where possible always place children in the back seat of your car The back seat is nuch safer than the front seat Never use an infant restraint in the front passenger seat if your car has a front passenger airbag Do not use a restraint if it is more than 10 years old is damaged or has been in a crash even if it does not appear to be damaged Child restraints should never be used in vehicle seats that face rearwerd or sideways 2 A simple guide to child restraints Pregnancy All Australian states and teritories require you to wear a seat belt even when you are pregnant Pregnant women sorretines find wearing a seat belt uncomfortable or worry that it nay hanmthe unbom baby However a sea
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