Airbags

If your car has airbags, fit all child seats in the rear seat. Never use child restraints in the front passenger seat.

Which restraint for what age?

Infants (up to 9kg, about 6 months)

Always use an approved child restraint. Keep your child in a rearward-facing child restraint until he or she physically won’t fit. Before moving to a forward-facing child seat, your child must be able to sit and easily hold his or her head upright.

Do NOT carry your child in your arms. In a crash you will NOT be able to hold onto your child. He or she will be thrown around the interior of the car or thrown outside it.

Young Children (9kg up to 18kg, 6 months to approximately 5 years)

Always use an approved child seat. You may be tempted to move your child into a booster seat when a new brother or sister comes along. This is not recommended. Nothing else offers the same level of protection in a crash for young children as a child seat. You should continue putting your child into the child seat until he or she becomes too big for it. This is usually when a child simply will not fit into the seat because of shoulder width.

Older Children (up to 26kg, about 6 years)

A booster seat may be needed to improve seat belt fit and to let your child see out of the car. Buy a rigid booster seat (with a back), side wings and a sash guide to keep the seat belt in place. Use an adult lap/sash seat belt or a child harness in conjunction with the centre rear lap belt. When using a harness remember to tightly adjust the lap belt first then the harness, just removing the slack. The lap belt should always be tighter than the shoulder harness.

Never use a booster seat or cushion with just a lap only seat belt.

• Installing and using child safety restraints
• Read and follow all instructions carefully when installing child
• Where possible, install your child restraint in the centre position of your car’s back seat, except in the case of a booster seat with a lap only seat belt
• Ensure the top strap and the adult seat belt that keeps the child restraint in position are properly adjusted they shouldn’t have any slack. When tightening the seat belt push the child firmly into the car seat with your body weight, so that the car seat cushions are compressed. This helps to ensure a very tight fit and minimises subsequent movement in a crash
• Use the minimum number of tether extension straps
• Ensure the harness shoulder straps are correctly positioned. When using a rearward-facing infant , the shoulder straps should be located at shoulder height or just above the baby’s shoulders
• Shoulder straps in forward-facing restraints can be located up to 25mm below the child’s shoulders
• Adjust the harness firmly. A loose harness won’t perform well in a crash and can lead to other problems, such as the child freeing his or her arms. There should be no twists in the harness. When using a child harness with a lap belt, tighten the belt first, and then adjust the harness