Blue Mountains Posts

The updated National Guidelines provide best practice recommendations that have been approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and were released on 30 March 2021.

NeuRA and Kidsafe Australia want to see all children as safe as they can be when travelling in cars. Ensuring parents receive straightforward, consistent advice on how to keep children safe in cars is an important step in making this happen.

For a full copy of the guidelines, please click on the link: The National Child Restraint Guidelines.

Key Changes include the following recommendations:

• Children should use their child restraint or booster seat when travelling in rideshare (e.g. Uber) and rental cars, as well as taxis
• Strengthened guidance on using the 5 step test to decide when to transition from a booster seat to adult seat belt, and removal of height as a guide
• When possible, children should sit in an upright seating posture so the restraint can work optimally
• Children aged 4-8 should use an add-on booster seat in preference to an integrated booster, but children 9 and older can safely use an integrated booster seat if their car has a side curtain airbag where they are sitting
• Parents of low birthweight babies should use an infant restraint designed for low birthweight infants until they can get good harness fit in a ‘standard’ child restraint.

The Guidelines also include information on the current legal requirements for child car seat use in Australia, and how best practice exceeds these minimum requirements.

Watch this animation of the 5-step test!

Download the Top Ten Tips for Safer Travel