That first car ride home with a precious newborn nestled into a baby capsule is a trip most parents will never forget. Tiny arms passing through straps and buckles that seem comically enormous before being firmly fastened.
But what if we told you that almost 72% of Australian children aged 0-12 years were not correctly restrained while travelling?1 Would you be confident that your capsule, toddler car seat or booster seat would help to protect your precious cargo in a road accident?
Every parent wants to keep their child safe, so in this article we’ll look at why car seats are important and how to choose the right kids car seat for your child’s height and weight. We’ll also address what to consider before buying a car seat and whether your car seat is covered by car insurance.
What’s being done to improve the use of car seats?
In December 2023, state and federal ministers for transport committed to reviewing Australia’s child restraint rules. The review comes as leading child safety experts have argued that Australia’s approach isn’t in line with international best practice guidelines.2
Currently, Australian children are allowed to be moved out of a booster seat at age seven,2 while in the UK, the mandatory age limit is 12 years or over 135cm in height – whichever comes first.3 In Germany the mandatory age limit is under 12 years or 150cm in height – whichever comes first.4
Safety advocates are calling for Australian children to be kept in booster seats, and babies to be kept in a rearward facing car seat, for longer, ensuring safety goes beyond the current minimum legal standard.2
Why are car seats and booster seats so important?
According to statistics from the Queensland Family and Child Commission, transport-related incidents were one of the leading causes of death for Australian children aged 1-17 years in 2021.5 Studies have also shown that children who are restrained incorrectly are up to seven times more likely to be seriously injured in a car accident than children who are fitted in the correct child car seat.6
Properly installed car seats could prevent serious injury to your child in the unfortunate event of a road accident, says Dr Bianca Albanese, a postdoctoral research fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) – which, in partnership with Kidsafe Australia, developed the National Guidelines for the Safe Restraint of Children Travelling in Motor Vehicles.7
“Our children are our greatest treasures, and their safety is our top priority. Child restraints are vital for making sure young passengers are protected during every car ride, especially in the event of a crash,” says Albanese.
How do car seats work?
Standard seatbelts are designed for adults, with a lap belt and a shoulder belt secured across the pelvis and the rib cage, both of which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of the body.8
“Children are different to adults in many ways that affect their safety in car crashes,” says Albanese.
“Apart from size, their body proportions and characteristics of different tissues in their body require specialised restraints for use in a vehicle. Child restraint systems can accommodate these differences and adapt to the different stages of a child’s development.”
Rear-facing baby car seats give babies the head and neck support they need,9 while booster seats raise older children up to a height where car seatbelts are in the correct position for their body.10
What are the legal requirements for kids’ car seats in Australia?
By law, all child car seats used, bought and sold in Australia must meet the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754. There are two exceptions to this requirement – restraints designed for children with a disability and restraints that are an integrated feature of a motor vehicle.11
According to the federal government-supported Raising Children website, a baby car seat should also:12
- Have a safety standards label – you can find this on the packaging of new car seats and on the car seat itself
- Suit your child’s size and age
- Be installed correctly
- Be adjusted and fastened to properly fit your child
- Be less than 10 years old and in good working condition.12
What are the different types of car seats and when do I use them?
If you’re wondering whether your infant car seat should be installed in a rear- or forward-facing position, or when you can move your child to or out of a booster seat, Kidsafe NSW lists the following requirements:13
Babies up to six months of age: Must be secured in a rear-facing baby car seat and must not travel in the front seat of a car that has back seats.13
Children between six months and four years of age: Must be secured in a rear-facing car seat or a front-facing car seat fitted with an inbuilt harness, properly fitted and adjusted to the child’s height and weight.13
Children between four and seven years of age: Must be in either a forward-facing car seat with an inbuilt harness or in a booster seat with a properly fastened seatbelt. Children should not be in the front seat if there is a back row of seats, unless those seats are all occupied by other children under the age of seven.13
Children over 7 years old: Must remain in a child’s car seat or booster seat until they’ve outgrown it, then use an adult seatbelt.13
The suggested minimum height for moving out of a booster seat and using an adult seatbelt is 145cm or taller.14
How do I know when my child no longer requires a booster seat?
While children aren’t legally required to use a booster after the age of seven, Kidsafe recommends using the “5-step test” to determine their physical readiness to travel with just an adult seatbelt:13
- Can the child sit with their back against the vehicle seat back?
- Do the child’s knees bend in front of the edge of the seat?
- Does the sash belt sit low across the middle of the shoulders?
- Is the lap belt sitting low across the hips touching the thighs?
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?13
When the answers to these questions are “yes”, your child is ready for a seatbelt.13
Source: CHOICE, “How to choose the best baby and child car seats”, 20245 questions to consider when choosing a child car seat
Remember, every car seat also needs a label showing it meets the legal safety standard AS/NZS 1754.
How to install your child’s car seat
Whether you drive a large 8-seater car or a compact runabout, correct installation of your baby capsule, toddler car seat or booster seat is critical, and parents can opt to engage the services of an authorised fitter. Authorised fitters can install a child car restraint, check an installation or even review if your current car seat is still suitable for your child. Prices for a fitting vary across states and territories, and range from around $40 to $70.
To find an authorised fitter, check your state or territory’s Kidsafe website – for New South Wales, search Transport for NSW’s interactive map.
What else to consider before buying a car seat
If you’re in the process of purchasing a car seat, you may find the Child Car Seats website useful. It’s an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP) – a consortium of government agencies and motorist organisations working to improve safety for children in vehicles.15
CREP independently tests the safety features of car seats above and beyond minimum standards, and all models listed on its website meet the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1754. CREP encourages consumers to choose and use child car seats that far exceed these minimum requirements.15
Consumer advocacy organisation CHOICE also recommends considering the following to ensure you make the best purchase for your child’s safety, your vehicle and your lifestyle:16
- Weight: Make sure you’re able to pick up the car seat without too much effort – you might find yourself moving it between vehicles from time to time.
- Shoulder markers near the straps: These help to show when it's time to move up a size.
- Cleaning: Kids are messy, so it can be useful if seat covers and other parts come off easily for cleaning.
- Compatibility: If you’re buying a capsule, check if it's compatible with your pram.
- Anchorage points: Check if your family’s car has enough anchor points if you have more than one car seat or capsule.16
Does my car insurance cover kids’ car seats?
Good question. Baby car seats are automatically covered by our Comprehensive car insurance and Third Party Fire & Theft car insurance policies, which means the car seats may be replaced if loss or damage occurs as a result of an insured event.17
Now that you’re ready to choose and install a car seat that’s perfect for your child, consider starting a quote for car insurance with Youi.
1 Source: National Library of Medicine – Updated population-level estimates of child restraint practices among children aged 0-12 years in Australia, 10 years after introduction of age-appropriate restraint use legislation, March 2024
2 Source: The Guardian – Children at risk as Australia lags behind other countries on car seat safety, experts say, March 2024
3 Source: GOV.UK – Child car seats: the law
4 Source: Which? – Child car seat laws around the world, July 2024
5 Source: Queensland Family and Child Commission – Australian child death statistics 2021, May 2024
6 Source: Child Car Seats – Using a child car seat correctly
7 Source: NeuRA – National Child Restraint Best Practice Guidelines
8 Source: Automotive Safety Council – Seat Belt Safety for Adults
9 Source: Raising Children – Child car seats: types of car seats and when to use them, May 2024
10 Source: Nemours KidsHealth – Booster Seat Safety, March 2023
11 Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission – Child restraints for use in motor vehicles mandatory standard
12 Source: raisingchildren.net.au – Child car seats: choosing, installing and using safe car seats
13 Source: Kidsafe NSW – Which Car Seat Do I Use For My Child?
14 Source: NSW Government – Child car seats
15 Source: Child Car Seats – Who we are
16 Source: CHOICE – How to choose the best baby and child car seats, October 2024
17 Available with Comprehensive and Third Party Fire & Theft policies. For more details, see the PDS.
