Seatbelt safety for children

Posted 15 February, 2024 Jeremy Rochow

As a parent with two young children, I’m still navigating the child restraint journey.

Our kids have moved from rear-facing child restraints to front-facing child seats and eventually they’ll use booster seats.

But when can a child move from a booster to using a regular seat with adult seatbelt?

First, the child must be at least seven years old. Secondly, the adult seatbelt must fit them correctly otherwise they still need to use a booster or large safety seat with an internal harness.

Vehicle seats and belts are designed for adults, so your child probably won’t be ready for the adult seatbelt when they turn seven. Research shows that an adult lap-sash seatbelt will not generally fit a child properly until they are at least 145cm tall or about 10 to 12 years old.

If a child moves from their child restraint too soon, they could be more likely to sustain serious injuries in a crash, particularly to their brain, spleen, stomach and spine. It’s safer for your kid to grow out of their current child restraint before proceeding to the next level.

A simple test

There is a simple three-step test parents can do to check whether their child can use the adult seat and belt.

1. Check the sash (the section across the chest) sits on the middle of the child’s shoulder and doesn’t touch their neck.
2. Make sure the lap part of the seatbelt sits low down across the child’s hips, but not over their abdomen.
3. Lastly, check your child’s bottom is all the way to the back of the seat and their legs are long enough that their knees bend over the edge. However, the child’s feet don’t necessarily need to touch the floor.

What if my child doesn’t pass the test?

If your child passes this test, they should be ready to sit in an adult seat. If not, they may have simply outgrown their booster seat and will need a larger one.

A booster seat or extended harnessed seat needs to be used until your child fits the adult seatbelt properly.

Boosters ensure the sash and lap part of the seatbelt fit correctly to make sure they’re protected if you have a crash.

Hefty fines

If a driver fails to ensure passengers under 16 are wearing a seatbelt or approved child restraint, they could receive a $422 fine, plus a $99 Victims of Crime Levy and three demerit points.

If there’s more than one passenger under 16 not restrained properly, the driver could be handed a $499 fine, a $99 Victims of Crime Levy and five demerit points.