Child Car Restraints
New laws from 1 October 2010
New laws came into effect on 1 October 2010 that introduced new rules for the restraint of children in vehicles.
The new laws will reduce the risk of injury caused by the use of unsuitable restraints for a child’s size by specifying the type of restraint to be used at different ages and where children must be seated in a vehicle.
The new laws require children from:
- birth to under 6 months to be restrained in a rearward facing child restraint (e.g. infant capsule);
- 6 months to under 4 years to be restrained in either a rearward or forward facing child restraint with in-built harness; and
- 4 years to under 7 years to be restrained in either a forward facing child restraint or booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seat belt or child safety harness.
Also, children under 4 years are not allowed to sit in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows of seats, and those from 4 years to under 7 years are only allowed to sit in the front seats if all rear seats are occupied by children less than 7 years of age.
Children 7 years and over can be restrained in an adult seat belt or booster seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
New Child Restraint Laws for Western Australia (11 page PDF 242 KB)
Resources
Booklet: Choosing and using child restraints and booster seats (17 page PDF 1.5 MB)
Brochure: Kids don't grow up as fast as you think (6 page PDF 398 KB)
Advertising
Street Smarts advertisement: New child car restraint legislation (1 page PDF 125 KB)
Press: Kids don't grow up as fast as you think - Girl (1 page PDF 326 KB)
Press: Kids don't grow up as fast as you think - Boy (1 page PDF 329 KB)
Radio: Child car restraint legislation changes (15 second MP3 619 KB)