Seatbelts, boosters etc.

[Guest guest]

Here are our local guidelines from Australia where it is compulsory

to wear seatbelts and use the correct child restraints, and has been

for many years. Sorry about the kg's.

Damian

Choosing a restraint

Which type of restraint for what age?

Infants (up to 9kg, about 6 months)

Always use an approved infant restraint. Keep your child in a

rearward-facing restraint until he or she physically won't fit.

Don't carry your child in your arms. In a crash you won't be able to

hold onto your child. He or she will be thrown around the vehicle

interior or thrown out of the vehicle. Before moving to a forward-

facing child seat, your child must be able to sit and easily hold

his or her head upright.

Young children (9kg up to 18kg, 6 months to approximately 5 years)

Always use an approved child seat. You may be tempted to move your

child onto a booster seat when a new brother or sister comes along.

This is not recommended. Nothing else offers the same level of crash

protection for young children as a child seat. Our advice is to

continue putting your child in the seat until he or she is too big

for it. This is usually when a child simply will not fit in the seat

because of shoulder width.

Older children (up to 26 kg, about 6 years)

A booster seat may be needed to improve seat belt fit or to enable

your child to see out of the vehicle. As a general guide, buy a

rigid booster seat (with a back), side wings and a sash guide to

keep the seat belt in place -all the preferred booster seats are

like this. Use an adult lap/sash seat belt or a child harness in

conjunction with the centre rear lap belt. When using a harness,

remember to tightly adjust the lap belt first, and then the harness,

just removing the slack. The lap belt should always be much tighter

than the shoulder harness.

Never use a booster seat or cushion with just a lap only seat belt!

Advice on installing a restraint safely

To ensure a child restraint gives your child the highest possible

level of protection in a crash:

Read and follow all instructions carefully when installing the

restraint and securing your child. Note references to common

dangerous mistakes and useful travelling safety tips. If the

instructions have been lost, most manufacturers will mail out a copy

upon request.

Where possible, install your child restraint in the centre position

of your car's back seat, except in the case of a booster seat with a

lap only seat belt.

Ensure the top tether strap and the adult seat belt that keeps the

restraint in position are properly adjusted - they shouldn't have

any slack. When tightening the seat belt, push the child seat firmly

into the car seat with your body weight, so that the car seat

cushions are compressed. This helps ensure a very tight fit, and

minimises subsequent movement in a crash.

Use the minimum number of tether extension straps.

If you have any problems fitting a child restraint, use the advisory

phone numbers on the back of this brochure or arrange to have the

installation done by an authorised fitting station.

Surveys carried out have indicated that a number of restraints are

not installed correctly. Getting a professional trained fitter to

install the child restraint can provide additional assurance of the

safety of your child.

Advice on using a restraint safely

Read the instructions carefully before starting. Don't make the

mistake of ignoring the instructions until after all else has failed.

Ensure the harness shoulder straps are correctly positioned. When

using a rearward-facing infant restraint, the shoulder straps should

be located at shoulder height or just above the baby's shoulders.

The shoulder straps in forward-facing restraints can be located up

to 25mm below the child's shoulders.

Adjust the harness firmly. A loose harness won't perform well in a

crash, and can lead to other problems, such as the child freeing his

or her arms. There should be no twists in the harness. When using a

child harness with a lap belt, tighten the lap belt first, then

adjust the harness.

Children, especially young babies, can suffer badly because of

exposure to the sun. Special window screens are the most effective

countermeasure to over exposure. These are designed to block out the

sun, but allow you to easily see out of the car.

Poor air circulation is another problem for young infants. They can

become very hot and dehydrate very quickly. Don't put too many

clothes on your baby in warm weather. Make sure you direct

ventilation to the rear seat where your children are seated. Of

course, never leave your child alone in the vehicle.

Advice on getting a second-hand child restraint

A second-hand child restraint can be an economical way to protect

your child, but some precautions should be taken. Unless you are

getting the restraint from someone you know, it may be difficult to

check its history.

Do not take it if there are obvious signs of wear on the harness or

if the plastic shell or buckle is cracked or broken.

Test out the buckle and adjusters to be certain they are in working

order.

Only use restraints that carry the Australian StandardsMark and

ensure you get and use the installation manual.

In NSW, an authorised fitting station will also be able to check a

restraint to confirm it is in working order.

Do not use a restraint that has been in a collision.

Advice on hiring a child restraint

Hiring a child restraint is an option to be considered. This option

can save in purchase costs and also solves the problem of where to

store the restraint when it is no longer needed. It also allows the

best available restraint to be used for each child as they arrive.

Organisations that hire restraints often provide a fitting service

and delivery to maternity hospitals. Information should be available

through your local maternity hospital or community health service.

Advice on buying a car

When you buy a car, follow these tips for compatibility.

If possible, consider buying a car with a centre lap/sash seat belt.

You can also have the centre rear lap only belt replaced with a

lap/sash belt in some cars.

Make sure there is a centre rear anchorage point if you want to use

that seating position for a child.

Make sure the anchorage points aren't too close to the seat back for

the tether strap to be adjusted properly - some cars have this

problem.

Ensure seat belts are long enough to thread through the restraint

when in its most extended (reclined) position.

If buying a station wagon, fit a cargo barrier complying with the

Australian Standards, if one is available.

If buying a hatchback, check there is a clear path between the back

seat and the rear anchorage point so that the parcel shelf doesn't

interfere with adjustment of the tether strap. Luggage etc. carried

in the back often obstructs top tether straps. Some hatchbacks can

also be fitted with cargo barriers or cargo nets.

The use of a child restraint may reduce the seating capacity of some

people movers. Check that the number of people you want to carry is

not reduced by fitting a child restraint. Also, people movers do not

necessarily have anchorages for each seating position. It is

important to check this first, especially if you are going to carry

a number of children in restraints.

Two-door cars make fitting and using restraints particularly

difficult. It can be awkward getting children in and out and can

lead to back strain problems.

Choose a car that will carry the number of restraints you need. Not

all cars have big enough back seats to carry three restraints at

once.

A small car may not have enough room to comfortably fit a

convertible restraint and a front passenger at the same time.