• 07
• Aug
• 2007
• 

Australia lags behind UK and US with its booster seat safety laws, changes are hopefully on the way

Australia’s current legislations for the use of child restraint systems is restricted to infants up to the age of 1 year must travel in a properly fitted, Australian Standards-approved child restraint. Children aged 1–16 years must travel in either a child restraint or a seatbelt.

Obviously there is a huge gap from a child under 1 year old needing an appropriate child restraint (child seat) and a child over 1 who can use a normal seat belt and stay within the law.

It is widely recognised that parents treat legal requirements as appropriate safety standards; parents will work within these laws and presume they are transporting their children to an acceptable safety standard. Certainly the current Australian car seat/booster seat laws are no where near appropriate safety standards.

On the 16th May this year the National Transport Commission (NTC) issued a draft proposal with the intention of strengthening the Australian laws governing the use of child seats and booster seats by children.

The Draft Proposal requires children up to 6 months old to be restrained in a rearward facing infant capsule; then a forward facing child seat until the age of 4; and a booster seat from 4 to 7 years old. A provision has been drafted to ensure a child is not required to use a restraint unsuitable for their size and weight (for example a child who is too tall or heavy for the restraint).

According to Dr Jeff Potter, the NTC’s Senior Manager–Safety, 500 children up to the age of 10 are killed or seriously injured every year in car accidents, with 2,300 sustaining minor injuries. He said new age-based minimum standards, if approved, would improve public understanding and reduce injuries.

“While many parents and carers strive to do the right thing, the research shows children are moving to bigger seats too early. The new laws will provide better guidance informed by the latest available technology, research and world’s best practice,” Dr Potter said.

The proposal has gone through a period of public comment, this ended on the 29th July. We are now waiting to hear the next steps for this extremely important proposal for the children of Australia. It is hoped that this will become law by as early as the end of 2007.