Child car seats and restraints

Types of child car restraints

Make the best choice for your child’s safety and learn about child car restraint options in Victoria.

All child restraints approved for sale in Australia support and protect a child’s head, neck and body in a crash.

It is important that the correct restraint is chosen for the child’s size and installed correctly to help keep them safe.

Visit our Child car restraint road rules page to make sure your child is in the right car restraint, booster seat or seatbelt for their size or to take the 5-step test.

Rear facing child car seats

Rear facing child restraints face your child towards the back of your vehicle.
We recommend you keep your child in a rear facing child restraint until they have outgrown it, ideally until they are at least 12 months old.

To make sure your child still fits in their rear facing restraint, check and follow the instructions on the shoulder height markers. You should only move your child to a forward facing child restraint if they’ve reached the top shoulder height marker for rear facing use.

All rear facing child restraints must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions using the seatbelt or ISOFIX attachments and the top tether strap. They also must have an inbuilt harness.

There are a range of rear facing child restraints you can use, including an infant capsule, combination child restraints that change to a forward facing position when your child is big enough, and options that allow children to stay rear facing until they are 2-3 years old.

Check your restraint's instruction manual for more information on your make and model.

Forward facing child car seats

We recommend only moving your child to a forward facing restraint when they have outgrown their rear facing one.

All forward facing child restraints must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions using the seatbelt or ISOFIX attachments and the top tether strap. They also must have an inbuilt harness.

To make sure your child still fits in their forward facing restraint, check and follow the instructions on the shoulder height markers. You should only move your child to a booster seat if their shoulders have reached the top shoulder height marker for forward facing use.

There are a range of forward facing child restraints, including restraints that can change to another position when your child is big enough, and Type G restraints with an inbuilt harness for children up to approximately 8-10 years of age.

Check your restraint's instruction manual for more information on your make or model.

Booster seats

We recommend only moving your child to a booster seat when they have outgrown their forward facing restraint.

Booster seats are held in place by the child's own body and the vehicle's lap-sash seatbelt. Booster seats may or may not have a top tether strap, depending on the model. If the booster seat has a top tether strap, it must be used.

Tips for choosing and using a booster seat

Choose a booster seat with a headrest that can be adjusted as your child grows.
Choose a booster seat with an anti-submarining feature which holds the lap part of the seatbelt low on a child's hips to stop them from sliding under the seatbelt in a crash.
Only use a lap-sash seatbelt with a booster seat.
Check that the sash part of the seatbelt sits across your child's shoulder and does not touch their neck.
If your booster seat has a top tether strap, it must be used.

Safety tip – keep your child in a booster seat or forward facing child restraint until they can pass the 5-step test. This usually happens when children are 10 to 12 years of age

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 forward facing restraint can use an integrated booster seats when travelling in Victoria.

Booster cushions

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

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

Seat belts

An adult lap-sash seatbelt is designed for people at least 145 cm high or taller. The average child will not reach this height until 10 to 12 years of age.
Keep your child safe and continue using a booster seat or larger forward facing restraint until they have outgrown it. Don’t use an adult lap-sash seatbelt on a child who isn’t tall enough, as this will not provide enough protection in a crash.

Transporting children with medical conditions and disabilities

For information and advice on transporting children with a disability or medical condition, you can speak with a health professional such as an Occupational Therapist, who can assess your child’s transport needs.

Visit Mobility and Accessibility for Children and Adults Ltd (MACA) for more information.

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 restraint. It is not the same as an inbuilt harness you find on a rear or forward-facing child restraint.

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

Don’t use a child safety harness if there is a lap-sash seatbelt available. Only use a child safety harness when there is a lap-only seatbelt and it is not possible to replace it with a lap-sash seatbelt.

ISOFIX compatible child car restraints

ISOFIX provides a different way to attach a child restraint to a vehicle that doesn’t use the vehicle seatbelt.

To use the ISOFIX system:

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.
If you’re not sure if your restraint has ISOFIX attachments or where these are, check the child restraint instruction manual.
All ISOFIX compatible child car restraints have a top tether strap that you must attach to a top tether anchorage point in the vehicle. You can check your vehicle owner’s manual to find where the top tether anchorage points are.

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

Accessories

Child restraint accessories that are not supplied or recommended by the manufacturer, or are not certified for use with a specific restraint under Australian Standard 8005, are not recommended for use.

Legislation

The Victorian Government is working with the National Transport Commission to review the current Australian Road Rules relating to child restraints, to ensure they align with the latest safety research and best practice guidelines.

For more information and updates about the review, visit the National Transport Commission website.

Visit road rules for child car seats and child restraints in Victoria for current information.