Seatbelts, child restraints and phone laws in South Australia

By the end of this topic you can

• You can wear a seatbelt correctly and make sure every passenger is restrained.
• You can match a child's age to the right type of restraint and seating position.
• You can explain exactly what phone use is banned for learners and P1 drivers.
• You can describe the phone rules that apply to P2 and full licence holders.

What you need to know and understand

• Everyone must wear an available seatbelt whenever the vehicle is moving or stopped but not parked.
• The driver commits an offence if a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt or the right child restraint, and the handbook makes the driver responsible for passengers of any age. Passengers 16 or older can also be fined themselves.
• Failing to wear a seatbelt as a driver carries 3 demerit points.
• Learner and P1 drivers must not use any phone function while driving, including hands-free, Bluetooth, loudspeaker, phone GPS and texting.
• A learner or P1 driver may use a GPS that is built into the car, or a standalone GPS unit in a proper commercial mount.
• Using a mobile phone illegally carries 3 demerit points, and mobile phone detection cameras operate in South Australia.
• All drivers may use a phone to pay at a drive-through or show a digital licence while stopped in a road-related area such as a car park.

Child restraints by age

National guidelines recommend children aged 12 and under ride in the back seat. Do not move a child to a bigger restraint before they have outgrown the current one.

• Under 6 months: approved rear-facing infant restraint, and not in the front seat of a car with two or more rows.
• 6 months to under 4 years: rear-facing restraint or forward-facing child seat with an inbuilt harness, and not in the front seat of a car with two or more rows.
• 4 years to under 7 years: forward-facing seat with an inbuilt harness, or a booster seat with a properly adjusted lap-sash belt or child safety harness. Not in the front row of a car with two or more rows unless all other seats are taken by children under 7.
• 7 years to under 16 years: an approved child restraint or a properly adjusted seatbelt, depending on size.

Wearing a belt the right way

The lap part should sit low and firm across the hips, and the sash should cross the shoulder, not the neck, and never go under the arm or behind the back. Remove twists, keep it snug, and never share one belt between two people. Replace a belt that has been stressed in a severe crash.

Phone rules once you reach P2

On P2 or a full licence you follow the general rules. You must not hold a phone while driving, including when stopped at lights. To make or take a call you can use Bluetooth or a headset without touching the phone, or touch the phone only if it sits in a commercially made mount fixed to the car. Texting, emailing, viewing messages and video calls are banned for every driver, even with the phone mounted. Phone navigation is allowed only if the phone is mounted and you set it before you leave.

Common mistakes

• Using phone navigation on Ls or P1, even mounted. Use a built-in or standalone GPS instead.
• Checking messages at red lights. Stopped in traffic still counts as driving.
• Letting a teenage passenger skip the seatbelt. If they are under 16, you are the one who is fined.
• Putting a young child in a booster seat too early. Follow the age guide and the restraint's size markers.

Test yourself: Seatbelts, child restraints and phone laws in South Australia

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

Go deeper

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