Australia has relaxed laws on child safety in cars compared to others around the world. In the UK, the law dictates that children must use a booster seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall.
A new report out of the UK has reported only 598 kids from a sample of 2351 aged 0-11 used the car seat. The study was done by the UK’s Good Egg Safety, an organization that provides in-car safety advice for families.
The research found staggering figures of parents putting their kid’s lives on the line by not putting them in the appropriate car seat or booster.
Only 34% of the children aged eight to 11 used an adult seat belt in a booster seat which is the legal requirement.
Jan James, Good Egg safety chief told the Huffington Post, “If older children do not use a booster and are too small for the seat belt, the belt can cause very serious – or even fatal – injuries.
“We are very concerned about the results showing that a third of older children are not using a suitable booster seat,” James continued.
“Seat belts are designed for adult use and are not suited to a child’s anatomy.
“A booster lifts a child up high enough that the adult seat belt fits across their hips and chest safely.”
The study found even more startling results for children aged two to three years. More than half of the 93 children in this age bracket were in the wrong seat for their age, weight and height.
The study is very worrying, and despite being done abroad, it serves as a warning for Australian parents to ensure their child is in the right seat as they grow.
In Australia, The National Guidelines for the Safe Restraint of Children Travelling in Motor Vehicles has been developed by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and Kidsafe – The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia. The National Guidelines provide best practice recommendations that have been approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
You can read the guidelines of what is required for child restraints at each stage on the Kidsafe website.
It is recommended a high-back booster seat should be used to provide adequate head, neck and torso protection.
As parents, it’s our natural instinct to protect our children and our responsibility to keep them safe while travelling in cars. Your local baby supplies retailer will have a list of car seat installers that will ensure your seat is installed correctly and your child is in the right seat for their age, height and weight.
The information in this post has been recommended by Krause Motors, who support kids’ safety in motor vehicles.
