Everything you need to know about child car seats
To travel in a car, all children under seven years old must use a child restraint or otherwise known as a child car seat. The driver is responsible for children aged under seven being secured by an approved child restraint suitable for their age and size.
Child car seats are safety devices designed to increase protection for young children during collisions in the years before they are able to use regular seatbelts. The type and suitability of these car seats changes with a child’s age and size. Parents and carers should regularly test and replace seats to comply with the law and provide the best possible protection for the child.
As with any safety device, child car seats should be professionally installed, monitored and assessed for damage, wear and tear, while also complying with current safety regulations.
What are the different types of child car seat?
There are three main types of child car seat: rearward-facing, forward-facing, and booster seats. The type of seat you need will depend largely on the age and size of the child using it.
Rearward-facing child car seats face the child towards the rear of the vehicle, while forward-facing seats face the child towards the front of the vehicle. Both of these designs have their own harness and buckle system.
A booster seat is a forward-facing unit that lifts a child from a vehicle’s seat and reroutes the factory-fitted seatbelt assembly to suit.
Types of child restraints and approximate age of use:
- 0-6 months: Baby capsule or Rearward facing restraint
- 0-4 years: Extended rearward facing restraint
- 6 months to 4 years: Forward facing restraint
- 0 to 8 years: Convertible restraint
- 4 years and older: Booster seat
ISOFIX versus seatbelt fitting
When choosing a car seat, you’ll notice that some restraints come in an ‘ISOFIX’ option. ISOFIX is a standardised car seat fitting system built into the backseat of newer cars and is simply a different anchor point to a seatbelt fitting.
Not all cars have an ISOFIX option, so always double check before buying this type of car seat. A regular seatbelt fitting is no less safe if the installation is done correctly. The difference is that these fittings use the car’s seatbelt to secure the base of the restraint to the backseat.
What age does a child need to use a car seat until?
All children must be safely fastened in the correct child car seat for their age and size. It is recommended that a booster seat is used until a child is at least 145cm tall, even if they are more than seven years old. This is due to the design and placement of vehicles’ seatbelt anchor points.
Seatbelts may actually cause injury during a collision if used by children less than 145cm in height, so it is important not to rush a child out of a booster seat until they are the appropriate size.
Children aged from seven years old but under 16 years old who are too small to be restrained by a seatbelt properly adjusted and fastened are strongly recommended to use either a forward-facing seat with an in-built harness for older children, an approved booster seat, or an approved child safety harness in conjunction with the vehicle’s seatbelt.
What is the correct car seat for my child?
The type of car seat suitable for an individual child will change as they grow, however a few guidelines are in place:
- Children up to six months old should use an approved rearward-facing child car seat.
- Children aged between six months and four years should use an approved and suitable rearward- or forward-facing child car seat with an in-built harness.
- Children aged from four years but under seven years must be secured in a forward-facing approved child car seat with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat.
- Children aged from seven years old but under 16 years old who are too small to be restrained by a seatbelt properly adjusted and fastened are strongly recommended to use either a forward-facing seat with an in-built harness for older children, an approved booster seat, or an approved child safety harness in conjunction with the vehicle’s seatbelt.
Given children grow at varying rates, carers and parents need to regularly assess a seat’s suitability for a child and replace as necessary.
How can I tell if my child is ready for a new car seat?
According to Child Car Seats, there are a few simple yet effective checks to confirm if a child should be moved into a different seat.
When a child is ready to move from a rearward- to forward-facing child seat
If the baby is between six and 12 months old and is able to hold their head, and/or has grown to a point where their shoulders have passed the shoulder marks on the seat, then they are ready to move to a front-facing car seat.
Please note not all child car seats have these shoulder marks.
When a child is ready for a booster seat or forward-facing seat designed for older children
A child is ready to move from a rearward-facing child car seat to a forward-facing unit designed for older children when one following criterion is met:
- The child’s shoulders no longer fit comfortably in the seat;
- their eye level is higher than the back of the seat;
- the top insertion slots for the shoulder straps are below the level of the child’s shoulders, or;
- their shoulder level has surpassed the seat’s shoulder marks.
When is my child ready to use a normal seatbelt?
A child is ready to use a normal seatbelt if they are seven years of age and 145cm tall, and at least one following criterion has been met:
- The child’s shoulders no longer fit comfortably in a booster seat;
- their eye level is higher than the back of the booster seat, or;
- their shoulder level has surpassed the seat’s shoulder marks.
Transport NSW also recommends a five-step test for parents and carers to ensure a child is ready to use a regular seatbelt.
- Sit all the way back against the seat back
- Bend their knees comfortably over the front edge of the vehicle seat
- Sit with the sash belt across their mid-shoulder
- Sit with the lap belt across the top of their thighs
- Stay seated in this position for the whole trip
Does a low birthweight baby need a special child car seat?
If a baby is of a low birthweight or very small, and cannot be secured properly in the harness of a standard child car seat, a specially-designed restraint system will be needed.
Australian and New Zealand Standard 1754:2013 details specifications of small infants with weights less than 2.5kg. The designations for these standards are Type A1/0, Type A2/0, Type A3/0 and Type A4/0.
How to install a child car seat
Fitting a car seat correctly is crucial to making sure a child is safe while in the car. The best way to make sure your seat is safely secured is to get it professionally fitted. Many retailers who sell or hire baby car seats also provide this service for a small fitting fee.
If it’s more convenient, you can also try fitting the car seat yourself. It’s probably worth having it checked though to make sure it’s done correctly. Check out the Transport NSW website for a map of authorised fitting stations if you don’t know where to find one.
If you decide to go ahead and do it yourself, be sure to read the instruction manual carefully. The installation will vary widely depending on the type of seat you have chosen.
Important tips for using a car seat:
- Make sure that the straps and belts are not twisted
- Listen for the click when you buckle your child in
- Make sure the harness isn’t loose – only two fingers should fit between your child and the harness.
Some local councils across NSW offer free child restraint fitting and inspection checks that are organised by Road Safety Officers. Unfortunately, not every local government area has access to a Road Safety Officer, especially remote areas of NSW, however the NRMA is advocating to resolve this.
What are the penalties and fines for improper use of a child car seat?
Rule 266 of the Road Rules 2014 legislation covers improper use of child car seats and restraints for children aged up to 16 years old, with failure to comply with the rules attracting fines and demerit points.
Each offence incurs a $410 fine and three demerit points, with the punishment also subject to double demerit periods.
See the full list seat belts and restraints offences and penalties in NSW.
