Calls for law changes on booster seats
Kidsafe Victoria wants the minimum age kids can use a normal seat lifted from seven to 10 years oldKidsafe Victoria has called for changes to the state’s booster seat legislation in order to reduce the risk of serious injuries to children in a car accident.
The leading safety body wants booster seats to be mandatory for children until they are 10 years of age and/or pass the ‘five-step test’ (see below) instead of the current seven-year age requirement.
Kidsafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney said parents and carers need clearer and more concise guidance on the optimal use of child car restraints and how to minimise the risk of injury for their children.
“Even though our children appear tall in our eyes, most children up to the age of 10-12 will require a booster seat to optimise their safety in the event of a collision,” she said.
“The evidence shows that it’s safest to leave children in booster seats until they have outgrown the size limit.”
“It’s time to change the laws to reflect what is safest for children and make them easy for all parents and caregivers to understand.”
The calls come in the wake of a 2019 incident that left 11-year-old Sam paralysed from the shoulders down after suffering severe neck and spinal injuries in a head-on collision with another vehicle.
His mother Lisa believes stricter legislation on booster seats and child restraints could have saved her son’s childhood.
“I think if not using booster seats was as illegal as not wearing a seatbelt, it might save lives,” she said.
There’s nothing to stop parents and carers continuing to use a booster seat for their children once they’re aged seven or older, but experts strongly recommend using the five-step test recommended as the deciding factor.
“The test is designed to help determine whether a child is big enough to obtain optimal protection from the adult seat belt,” Courtney said.
“A child can get a good seat belt fit if the answers to all of the questions in the test are yes.”
What is the five-step test?
- Back: Can the child sit all the way back against the vehicle seat back?
- Knee: Do the child’s knees bend comfortably in front of the front edge of the vehicle seat?
- Lap belt: Is the lap belt sitting low across the hip bones touching the thighs?
- Sash belt: Does the sash (shoulder) belt sit across the middle of the shoulder, not on the neck or out near the arm?
- Stay: Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Images: Getty Images
Related: When can children use regular seat belts?
Related: Vast majority of child car restraints are incorrectly installed
Related: Six things parents need to know about child car seats
Related: How long should kids stay in child safety seats?
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