Confusion Over Booster Seat Laws

In recent weeks there has been some discussion, both in the media and within our local school community, regarding when children can travel safely in a car without a booster seat.

A new report into car seat safety by the Royal Children's Hospital has found two thirds of children aged seven to ten years old are being transitioned out of booster seats too early, with the majority below the recommended height to travel safely without one.

According to the report, most parents abide by the age restriction law that states that children over seven can travel in an adult seatbelt or a booster seat. However only three per cent are aware of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s guidelines that recommend a minimum height of 145 centimetres to travel with a seatbelt.  

Adult seatbelts are designed to safely restrain a person of at least 145cm in height. Booster seats protect those children who are less than 145cm tall by lifting them up so that the seatbelt fits better across their shoulder, chest and hips.  The finding suggests that extending booster seat use by older children until they reach a height of at least 145cm may be a way of reducing child death and disability from road traffic crashes.

The five-step test   

Once a child reaches 145 cm tall you can use the five-step test to see that they are big enough to use an adult seatbelt.  You can check this by seeing if they can do the following:

1. Sit with their backs firmly against the seat back
2. Bend their knees comfortably over the front of the seat cushion
3. Sit the sash belt across their mid-shoulder
4. Sit with the lap belt across the top of their thighs
5. Stay in this position for the whole car trip

Watch - Ten First News (May 15th): "Parents Are Confused by Seat Belt Regulations says Research"

Read the full report from the Royal Children’s Hospital or Parents’ Confused By  Booster Seat Laws from the Royal Auto (RACV). 

Paul Anderson

Student Wellbeing Leader