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Child restraints

If you have children in your car, you must make sure they’re safe.

They're much safer in cars if they're in approved child restraints or, depending on their size, if they're wearing seatbelts that are fitted properly.

The type of child restraint or seatbelt you need changes with the age of the child. Read about how to keep kids safe in the car (PDF, 4.9 MB).

Watch our videos about using child restraints. These videos are available in English and Pitjantjatjara language.

You can be fined and get demerit points if children are not properly secured.

Be extra careful when you have children in your car.

  • An adult seatbelt won't generally fit a child properly until they are at least 145cm tall. Children should remain in a booster seat until they can wear a seatbelt safely. Children are safer when travelling in the back seat.  So no matter what your child's friends are allowed to do or how much pressure your child is putting on you to sit in the front, keep their safety a priority and buckle them up in the back seat.
  • When travelling in a motor vehicle, all children under 16 years of age must be restrained in a suitable approved restraint that is properly adjusted and fastened. The law is specific about what type of restraint is to be used at different ages and where children must be seated in a vehicle. The aim of these laws is to reduce the risk of injury caused by restraints that are unsuitable for a child's size. The driver is responsible for ensuring all passengers are correctly restrained.