Seat belts and child restraints

By the end of this topic you can

• You can wear a seatbelt correctly and check your passengers do too.
• You can name the type of child restraint needed for each age group.
• You can explain when a young child may sit in the front seat.
• You can describe who is responsible for passengers' belts.

What you need to know and understand

• The driver and every passenger must wear a seatbelt or suitable child restraint, one person per belt.
• The driver is responsible for passengers under 16 being properly restrained. In NSW, passengers 16 and over can also be fined.
• Children up to 6 months: rear-facing child car seat.
• Children 6 months to 4 years: rear-facing seat, or forward-facing seat with an inbuilt harness.
• Children 4 to 7 years: forward-facing seat with inbuilt harness, or an approved booster seat.
• Child restraints must meet Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754.
• A suggested minimum height for using an adult lap-sash belt is 145 cm.
• In NSW, the reversing exemption from wearing a belt applies only to full licence holders, not learners or P platers.

Low, flat and firm

A seatbelt only works if it is worn properly. The lap part should sit low across your hips, the belt should be flat with no twists, and it should be firm with no slack. The sash goes over your shoulder, never under your arm or behind your back.

Each person needs their own seat and belt. Nobody may travel in the boot, on the floor, in a ute tray, or in a trailer or caravan. You must never put one belt around yourself and a child on your lap, and you must never hold a child in your arms.

Children in the front seat

• Under 4: must not sit in the front if the vehicle has two or more rows of seats.
• 4 to under 7: must not sit in the front of a vehicle with two or more rows unless all back seats are taken by other children under 7.
• Any child in the front must still use a restraint suitable for their age and size.

Fitting restraints properly

Fit child seats exactly as the manufacturer says, attached to a proper anchorage point and adjusted tightly. Many families use an authorised restraint fitter to be sure. Booster seats must be used with a lap-sash belt or an approved child safety harness, never a lap belt on its own.

Older children who are still too small for an adult belt should keep using a booster or harness until the belt fits properly across the shoulder and hips.

Common mistakes

• Wearing the sash under the arm or behind the back. This can cause serious injury in a crash.
• Moving a child into a booster or adult belt too early. Follow the age stages and the child's size.
• Letting a young child ride up front because it is a short trip. The front seat rules apply to every trip.
• Assuming passengers are responsible for themselves. The driver must make sure children are restrained.
• Fitting a child seat without checking the instructions. A loose seat gives little protection.

Test yourself: Seat belts and child restraints

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Child Car Seat Rules in Australia