News Update: Serious Crash Highlights Importance of Proper Child Car Seat Installation
On October 1, 2024, Riverina Highway Patrol officers responded to a serious motor vehicle collision near Coolamon, emphasizing the critical need for properly installed child car seats. Fortunately, a young child involved in the crash was securely fastened in an appropriate child seat, anchored with both a seatbelt and an anchor strap. The inbuilt harness was correctly adjusted over the child’s shoulders and hips, resulting in only minor cuts for the child and the driver.
In New South Wales, strict regulations mandate that children must be securely buckled in car seats appropriate for their age and size:
- Children up to 6 months: Must be in an approved rearward-facing child car seat.
- Ages 6 months to 4 years: Can use either a rearward or forward-facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness.
- Children under 4 years: Cannot travel in the front seat of vehicles with two or more rows.
- Ages 4 to 7 years: Must use a forward-facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat and cannot sit in the front seat of multi-row vehicles unless all back seats are occupied by children under 7 in appropriate car seats.
- Ages 7 to 16 years: Those too small for a seatbelt are strongly advised to use a forward-facing seat with an inbuilt harness, an approved booster seat, or an approved child safety harness with the vehicle’s seatbelt.
- Booster seats: Children must be restrained with a suitable lap and sash-type approved seatbelt or an approved child safety harness.
For parents unsure about the correct installation of their child car seats, authorized installation providers are available in most areas, or local police stations can provide assistance through Highway Patrol officers.