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New car seat regulations will be effective from 9th November 2009. They are definately for the better in concerns to safety for all children, and will make it easier for a parent to know what sort of car seat their child requires - but as with all new rules there are cases that will be blurred. The idea of this document is to make it simple for you to figure out which car seat you need - in all cases.
Index
- Overview of new regulations
- The two most common questions
- Vicroads fact sheet
Overview of new regulations:
| VICTORIAN CHILD RESTRAINT SAFETY LAWS NOVEMBER '09 |
If your child is... |
| Birth to 6 months |
6 months to 4 years |
4 years to 7 years |
Above 7 years |
| (8kgs - 18kgs) |
(14kgs to 26kgs) |
(26kgs+) |
| Your child must be in a... |
| Rearward facing car seat or capsule |
Rearward or Forward facing car seat |
Booster seat with or without an H Harness |
Cars normal seat with a seat belt or H Harness |
| Or you may use... |
| Capsule or rearward facing seat rated up to 12Kgs (or roughly up 12months) |
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Hybrid car seat such as SafeNSound Maxi Rider (8-26kgs) |
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Essentially that is it. Nice and simple!
The two most common questions in regards to these new regulations are;
My child is 3 years old? Does that mean he must use a 5 point harness?
No - The regulations are desined to push people in the right direction in choosing an appropriate child restraint, however are still subject to weight and height restrictions of the products. If your 3 year old meets the weight and height requirements for a booster then you may still use one. The best recommendation is to use a Hybrid car seat such as a maxi rider, but if you must use a booster then we would encourage you to use a quality unit with an appropriate harness system to provide the maximum safety benifits offered by the booster.
My child is 6 years old, but is already 26kgs+ - Do they need to be in a booster?
No - There is an exemption in the rules to say that if your child is over the legal weight limit, they may travel without a booster - for now at least anyway.
Where can I find a copy of the VicRoads fact sheet regarding the regulations?
On their website (http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au) or you can follow this link directly here: Vicroads Child Restraint Fact Sheet Nov 09
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