RACV urges parents to check child car seat safety

RACV has provided an important reminder to parents and carers traveling on Victorian roads – please regularly check the fit, safety rating and rules for your child car seats.

This advice follows the release of the latest Child Restraint Evaluation Program ratings for six new child car seats.

RACV Head of Policy James Williams said that it’s vital parents and carers check often to ensure a safety seat is capable of protecting their children.

“To help protect your child, it’s really important to have a car seat installed and used correctly on every single trip you take,” Mr Williams said.

“Parents and carers will be aware of how fast their child can grow and therefore they should be checking monthly whether the restraint is still the right size.”

RACV has published useful information for parents and carers considering a child seat purchase or checking on the viability of their car seat at racv.com.au/childrestraints.

The top five things to keep in mind when checking if your child has outgrown their safety seat include:

    • Always ensure the car seat is installed and securely fastened according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

    • Ensure the child’s shoulders fit between the shoulder height markers on the restraint.

    • When your child has outgrown their rearward facing restraint, they can be moved into a larger rearward-facing restraint or forward-facing child restraint.

    • When your child has outgrown their forward-facing child restraint, they can be moved to a bigger model with an inbuilt harness or to a booster seat (depending on your child’s size).

    • Only move your child to an adult seatbelt when they are taller than 145cm (regardless of their age).

Parents will find more information and advice on finding the correct car seat at the Child Car Seats website.

“Child car seats can be complicated for many people – if you’re confused in any way, RACV strongly recommends talking to an experienced installer. It’s never worth the risk to have concerns go unanswered,” Mr Williams said.