Protect your child by using the correct restraint for their size. Children restrained incorrectly are up to seven times more likely to be seriously injured in a crash.
To ensure that your child is safe, check:
- the restraint is the right size for the child
- the child is securely placed in the restraint
- the restraint is correctly fitted to the vehicle
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Always follow a manufacturer's instructions when installing and using a restraint.
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By law, you (the driver) are responsible for ensuring that all passengers are restrained correctly.
All persons travelling in a motor vehicle must travel in a restraint that is properly adjusted and fastened. The restraint will be a child restraint, booster seat or adult seatbelt. The type of restraint will depend on the person’s size. The road rules in Victoria require:
- A child under six months of age must travel in a rearward facing approved child restraint.
- A child aged six months to under 4 years must travel in either a rearward facing OR forward facing approved child restraint. The type of restraint will depend on the child’s size.
- A child aged 4 years to under 7 years must travel in either a forward facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness, or an approved booster seat*. The type of restraint will depend on the child’s size.
- A child aged 7 years to under 16 years must travel in either an approved booster seat or an adult seatbelt. The type of restraint will depend on the child’s size.
- A person 16 years and over must travel in an adult seatbelt.
* A booster seat can be used with a lap-sash seatbelt or child safety harness. A child safety harness is not recommended for use with a booster seat in a seating position with a lap-sash seatbelt.
There are some exemptions from the child restraint road rules for children with a medical condition or physical disability. To qualify for an exemption a number of conditions must be met, such as a medical certificate. Parents and carers should seek advice from a health professional, such as an occupational therapist, who can prescribe the restraint which is best for the child.
If a vehicle has two or more rows of seats, children aged under 4 years must not travel in the front seat.
If all rear seats are being used by children under 7 years of age, children aged 4 years to under 7 years may travel in the front seat, provided they travel in a booster seat.
The Victorian road rules allow a child aged 7 years and over to travel in the front seat, however research shows that children under 16 years of aged are at 40% greater risk of injury when travelling in the front seat.
Child restraints and booster seats help prevent injury in crashes. They must be the right size for the child, properly fitted to the vehicle, and adjusted to fit the child’s body if they are to provide maximum protection.
A child restraint or booster seat, used correctly, will prevent a child from being ejected from the vehicle and distributes the extreme crash forces over the strongest parts of the child’s body. A child travelling in an adult seatbelt is not safe because a vehicle seat is too big and a child’s bone structure is not sufficiently developed to keep the seatbelt in the proper place during a crash.Where is the safest place and seating position for a child to travel?
The back seat is safer than the front seat.
The middle position is safest, provided that you can use a lap-sash seatelt. Do not use a lap-only seatbelt if a lap-sash seatbelt is available.
To protect your child in a crash the restraint must be the right size for your child. To ensure that all children are able to travel in the right size restraint, the road rules allow a child, who is too heavy or tall for the restraint recommended for their age, to use a restraint in the next age category.
Remember, to protect your child in a crash:
the restraint must be the right size for the child
the restraint must be properly adjusted and fastened, and
the restraint must be correctly fitted to the vehicle. The road rules require a passenger aged 7 years to under 16 years to travel in a ‘suitable approved booster seat’ or ‘a suitable seatbelt’. An adult lap-sash seatbelt is suitable for people with a minimum height of about 145 cm. A child should continue using a booster seat until they have outgrown it.
Children who are not yet tall enough to use a seatbelt tend to slump into the vehicle seat so that their legs bend at the seat edge. This means the lap part of the seatbelt is positioned too high on their stomach and they are at risk of injury in a crash.
If my child is in a booster seat do they also need to be in a child safety harness?
Booster seats do not come with a child safety harness. Booster seats are designed to be used with a lap-sash seatbelt.
A child safety harness is difficult to fit correctly. Do not use a child safety harness where a lap-sash seatbelt is available. Research recommends using a child safety harness only in situations where it is not possible to replace your lap-only seatbelt with a lap-sash seatbelt.
If you are not able to replace your lap-only seatbelt with a lap-sash seatbelt you will need to use a child safety harness with a booster seat. In this case, it is recommended to use a booster seat with an anti-submarining feature. This is a device which holds the lap part of the seatbelt down low on the child's hip, to stop them from sliding under the seatbelt in a crash.
Anti-submarining feature
If the booster seat complies with an earlier version of the standard you will need to check if it has an anti-submarining clip or an anti-submarining feature. This information will be included in the restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
If you must use a child safety harness, ensure that the shoulder straps are not too tight and that the lap part of the seatbelt is very low across the thighs, otherwise it may ride up into the child’s stomach area. This may cause serious injury or death to a child in a crash.
An inbuilt harness is made at the time of manufacture as part of the child restraint. Booster seats do not have inbuilt harnesses. Some forward facing child restraints convert to booster seats; this requires the inbuilt harness to be removed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the restraint is then used with an adult seatbelt.
A child safety harness is purchased as a separate item. A child safety harness is attached to a child restraint anchorage point and is sometimes used with a booster seat or lap-only seatbelt.
A child safety harness is difficult to fit correctly. A child safety harness should not be used with a booster seat if a lap-sash seatbelt is available. Research suggests that using a lap-sash seatbelt with a booster seat is just as safe, or safer, than using a booster seat with a correctly fitted child safety harness. If your car has a lap-only seatbelt replace this, if possible, with a lap-sash seatbelt.
If the booster seat comes with a tether strap it must be anchored to the child restraint anchorage point. However, there are some booster seats that meet the Australian Standard (AS/NZS 1754) that do not come with a tether strap and therefore do not need to be anchored in the vehicle.
Examples of tether straps
Booster cushions have been deleted from the 2010 version of the Australian Standard for child restraints (AS/NZS 1754). Booster cushions have been deleted from the Standard because they provide no side impact protection in a crash.
Booster cushions are still legal to use, however booster seats with high backs and side wings are recommended as they provide a higher level of safety in some types of crashes.
There is considerable variation in the types of child restraints and booster seats available. It will depend on the type chosen, the combination of restraints, and the make and model of your car. The NRMA website contains useful information on child restraint fitting guides.
You can also visit a restraint fitting station for advice.
Don’t forget - you will need to find out whether there are enough child restraint anchorage points in your vehicle with which to fit the restraints. If you are unsure where the anchorage points are located in your vehicle, refer to the vehicle owner’s manual under the section of “Child Restraints” or “Child Restraint Anchorage Systems”.
Examples of child restraint anchorage points
An example of a luggage tie down point and child restraint anchorage point. Never use a luggage tie down point instead of the child restraint anchorage point
Yes. If there are two child restraints or booster seats in the rear and there is not enough space to put a third restraint in the rear seat then a passenger aged 4 years to less than 7 years can travel in a booster seat in the front seat. You will need to use a booster seat that does not have a tether strap. Additional seats are able to be used by children aged 4 years and over provided the seat is suitable for the children's height and weight and a lap-sash seatbelt or seatbelt with a child safety harness is used.
Warning: Child restraints or booster seats cannot be used on additional seats, therefore children travelling in the additional seating position are not offered any side impact protection.
An integrated (or integral) booster cushion is forward facing and is built into some vehicles by the vehicle manufacturer. The occupant minimum and maximum weight restrictions for integrated booster cushions are specified in the vehicle owner’s manual.
An integrated booster cushion is considered to be an approved booster seat under the Victorian Road Rules and is therefore able to be used by a child aged 4 years and over.
It is recommended to keep using the integrated seat until the child reaches the maximum weight restriction as specified in the vehicle owner’s manual.
Note - the integrated booster cushion must comply with clause 34.8 of the Australian Design Rule 34/01 - Child Restraint Anchorages and Child Restraint Anchor Fittings to be permitted for use in Victoria. Please refer to your vehicle owner's manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer to identify if your integrated booster cushion meets these requirements.
Example of an integrated booster seat
If there is only one row of seats, it is legal to use a child restraint or booster seat in the front row provided there is a seatbelt and a child restraint anchorage point available. Note: some booster seats do not need to be anchored – if there is a tether strap on the booster seat it must be used.
Examples of tether straps
- Restraint fitting stations may be able to install an anchorage device in some front seating positions of vehicles
- Rearward facing child restraints cannot be used in a front seating position where there is a passenger airbag
- Forward facing child restraints and booster seats can be used in front seating positions where there is a passenger airbag. However, it is recommended that the seat be moved as far back as possible.
By law, taxi drivers do not have to provide child restraints or booster seats. However, they must ensure there is at least one anchor fitting ready for passengers who wish to supply their own. If you can, take your child’s restraint with you.
In taxis:
- children under 1 year do not have to use a child restraint, but they must travel in the back seat.
- children 1 year and over must be seated in their own seating position in a taxi, with their own properly fastened seatbelt if no suitable child restraint or booster seat is available in the taxi.
Be firm about restraint wearing even if your child resists. Your child’s safety is your responsibility.
Check that your child’s restraint is properly fastened and adjusted before you start.
When travelling in a motor vehicle, always wear your own seatbelt, so your child will also expect to be restrained.
On long trips plan plenty of stops for children to stretch their legs.
If you are still experiencing difficulty VicRoads recommends seeking advice from an allied health professional. An allied health professional will work together with families to identify strategies that may include recommending a restraint accessory.
No. Child restraints and booster seats purchased overseas do not comply with the Australian Standard for child restraints: AS/NZS 1754. This standard is one of the most stringent child restraint standards in the world. Unlike the European Standard, the Australian standard requires all restraints to be tested in side and rear impact tests and some with inverted test for roll-over protection.
When buying your child’s restraint, look for the standard’s sticker on the restraint and wording on the package that states it complies with AS/NZS 1754.
Child restraints that meet the standards released in 1991, 1995, 2000, 2004 and 2010 are legal and can be used in motor vehicles in Victoria.
The VicRoads restraint product tables list the approved child restraints and approved booster seats available to purchase.
If you are considering using a second-hand child restraint or booster seat check that:
it meets AS/NZS 1754, version 1991, 1995, 2000, 2004 or 2010 – look for this information on the restraint
it has not been in a serious crash
it is not more than ten years old
all the parts, including the instruction booklet, are included
there are no splits, cracks or stress marks on the restraint shell
the straps are not frayed, worn or damaged
the buckles work smoothly.
Consumers should be cautious when purchasing a child restraint or booster seat online.
Some child restraints and booster seats pose potential safety hazards and can fail to protect children adequately in a crash.
Parents are being warned not to purchase a type of child restraint being sold online that appears to breach Australia’s mandatory safety standards.
The products, sold through some online retailers, are marketed under various names, including ‘Baby Car Seat Pouch’, ‘Portable belt baby car safety seat for 1-5 years old’ and ‘Portable baby car safety seat for 20-40 lbs’, pose potential safety hazards and are likely to fail to protect children adequately in a crash.
An official consumer safety warning notice has been issued on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website.
If you are using these products, you should cease using them immediately and contact the ACCC or 1300 302 502.
The ACCC's Keeping Baby Safe booklet includes information on hazards and safety tips for child restraints.
- Do not use a restraint if it was being used when the vehicle was involved in a serious crash (where someone was injured or the vehicle was written off).
- The restraint should be destroyed and not resold or given away.