Types of child car seats and restraints

Rear facing child car seats

Rear facing child seats face your child towards the back of your vehicle. 

A rear facing child car seat must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions by:  

• being securely attached to the seat by the seat belt  
• having its top tether strap attached  
• having an inbuilt harness.  

When putting the inbuilt harness on your child, ensure your child’s shoulders are below the shoulder height markers on the seat.

We recommend you keep your child in a rear facing child car seat until they have outgrown their rear-facing child car seat, ideally until they are at least twelve months old. 

You should move your child to a forward facing child car seat if they have reached the upper limit of the shoulder height marker, or their shoulders are above the highest harness slot.

You can use a single purpose capsule or rear facing restraint. Some rear facing seats can convert to another mode when your child is big enough. Check the restraint's instruction manual to find out if and how you can do this.   

Forward facing child car seats

When using a forward facing child car seat, it must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions by:  

• being securely attached to the seat by the seat belt  
• having its top tether strap attached  
• having an inbuilt harness.  

When putting the inbuilt harness on your child, your child’s shoulders should be below the shoulder height markers. If your child's shoulders reach the harness slot, move the straps to a higher slot.  

You should move your child to a larger forward facing child car seat or a booster seat if their shoulders:  

• are above the highest slot for the harness
• have reached the shoulder height marker available on some restraints.   

You can use a single purpose forward facing restraint or one that can convert to another mode when your child is big enough. Check the restraint's instruction manual to find out if and how you can do this.   

Booster seats

Booster seats are held in place by the child's own body and the vehicle's lap-sash seat belt.

Tips for choosing and using a booster seat

• Only use a lap-sash seat belt with a booster seat.
• Check that the sash of the seat belt crosses your child's shoulder and does not touch their neck. 
• If your seat has a top tether strap, it must be used.  
• Choose a booster seat with an expandable headrest. This feature lets you adjust the height of the booster seat as your child grows.  
• Choose a booster seat with an anti-submarining feature. This holds the lap part of the seat belt low on a child's hips to stop them from sliding under the seat belt in a crash.  

Safety tip – keep your child in a booster seat or forward facing child restraint until they can pass the five step test. This usually happens when they are around 145cm tall.

Integrated booster seats

Integrated booster seats are built into the seat of the car and can be used with the vehicle’s seat belt. 

Children who have outgrown a froward facing restraint can use an integrated booster seats when travelling in Victoria.  

Booster cushions

Do not use booster cushions that do not have a seat back. These can't be legally used and don't provide any side or head protection in a crash.  

They provide no protection to a child in a side-on crash and they're not allowed to be made in Australia. 

Seat belts

An adult lap-sash seat belt is designed for people with a minimum height of 145 cm. The average child should reach this height between 10 to 12 years of age.  

Your child must continue using a booster seat or larger forward facing restraint until they have outgrown it.  Don’t use an adult lap-sash seat belt on a child who isn’t tall enough, as this will not provide enough protection in a crash.  

Read more about seat belt safety. 

Transporting children with medical conditions and disabilities

Visit Mobility and Accessibility for Children in Australia Ltd (MACA), a charity that supports safe transport for children with disabilities and medical conditions.

Child safety harnesses

A child safety harness - sometimes called an ‘H harness’ -  is an extra piece of equipment that is sold separately to a child car seat. It is not the same as an inbuilt harness on a child car seat.  

Don’t use a child safety harness if there is a lap-sash seat belt available.

Child safety harnesses attach to anchorage points and are used with booster seats or lap-only seat belts. They’re difficult to use and are often fitted incorrectly.  

Only use a child safety harness when there is a lap-only seat belt and it is not possible to replace it with a lap-sash seat belt. 

ISOFIX compatible child car seats

 ISOFIX provides an alternative for attaching child restraints or child car seats to a vehicle, which is independent of the vehicle seat belt.  

To use the ISOFIX system:

• Both the child restraint and vehicle need to be ISOFIX compatible.
• Your vehicle must have ISOFIX anchorage points built into the seats. If you’re not sure whether your vehicle has ISOFIX anchorage points, check your vehicle owner's manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer.  
• The child restraint must come with ISOFIX attachments. ISOFIX compatible child car seats have a top tether strap which you’ll need to attach to a top anchorage point.

For more information on child restraint safety ratings, visit the Child Car Seats website.