Helping parents choose safer child restraints

NSW State Plan Priority S7: Safer roads

Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal today launched a new guide to help NSW parents and carers choose safer child car restraints to protect their children.

"This is an easy-to-read buyers' guide for parents and carers to help them make what can often be a difficult decision," Mr Roozendaal said.

"The NSW Centre for Road Safety has finished the latest testing and this new guide evaluates child restraints currently available in the shops for their ease of use and safety.

"It provides test results and practical advice to selecting vehiclerestraints for children and will be widely distributed to parents, carers, maternity hospitals, child care centres and clinics."

Mr Roozendaal announced the findings of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program and launched the guide, Safer Child Restraints, with Member for Marrickville Carmel Tebbutt at the Lady Gowrie Child Care Centre in Erskineville.

The guide has been produced by the RTA's NSW Centre for Road Safety in partnership with the NRMA and Victoria's RACV.

"Parents need to ensure their child is as safe as possible when travelling in a vehicle," Mr Roozendaal said.

"This year, an additional 14 child restraints have been assessed for safety and for ease of installation.

"This guide is the most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable buyers' guide for parents in their selection of the safest and most appropriate restraint for their child."

The NSW Centre for Road Safety tests found the top three performers were the Safe-N-Sound Compaq rearward-facing restraint for babies; the Safe-N-Sound Series 3 forward-facing restraints for young children and the Infa Vario Kid booster seat for older children.

NRMA Motoring & Services President Alan Evans encouraged all parents and carers to use the Safer Child Restraints guide when looking to buy a child restraint and then ensure it is properly fitted.

"Children are our most precious cargo and we need to provide them with the safest restraint possible to give them the greatest protection," Mr Evans said.

"This means ensuring the restraint is the right size, that it is correctly installed and the child is strapped into the restraint properly."

Mr Roozendaal said the Iemma Government recognises the importance of child road safety.

"It is common sense for parents to make sure their children are restrained properly in an approved child restraint, regardless of their age," Mr Roozendaal said.

"All restraints sold in Australia must conform to the Australian/New Zealand Standard.

"If it doesn't have a label with the 'Standards Australia' Tick-mark - don't buy it. And even if it does - it is essential to make sure your child restraint is properly fitted.

"Research shows injuries can be prevented by the correct use of the child restraint.

"Over the past five years in NSW there were 50 children aged 7 years or under killed and a further 2179 children injured as passengers of light vehicles involved in road crashes. A number of these injuries could have been prevented if the child restraint was fitted correctly."

The RTA offers expert fitting and has more than 190 authorised restraint fitting stations across NSW that will correctly install a child restraint.

Parents and carers can get information about selecting and fitting a child restraint by calling the RTA Customer Call Centre on 132 213 during business hours or visiting the RTA website at:
www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/restraintschildrestraints/childrestraints/choosingarestraint.html

Further advice is available from the NRMA's Technical Advice line 1300 655 443 or www.mynrma.com.au/childrestraints.