Product Search - A Buyers Guide - Car Restraints For Children

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DISCLAIMER:
Whilst all care is taken to provide accurate information with respect to the item described, the Independent Living Centre (ILC) is not involved in product design or manufacture, and therefore not in a position to guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. Selection of equipment, which is both suitable and appropriate for individual needs remains the responsibility of the person(s) considering requisition, and no responsibility is taken by the ILC for any loss or injury caused through use of the equipment or alleged to have arisen through reliance upon information provided. As information is subject to change any enquiries should be directed to the manufacturer.

Item Details

A Buyers Guide - Car Restraints For Children

ILC Reference NO 51:51:600
Item sourced from ILC ACT database

Short Description
Secure child restraints in cars are important in preventing children being injured by being thrown from their seat in a crash or sudden stoppage.
There are 4 main different types. The rearward facing restraint for
infants, forward facing child seats, convertible child restraints that can be forward or rearward-facing and the booster seats and cushions.

Price Guide
Refer to supplier details for pricing.

More Details
. Points to consider when buying a car restraint for a child:
* Construction materials, comfort and durability
* Upholstery material, comfort, washability
* Ease of installation
* Capacity (weight and height of child)
* Length of time before child will outgrow seat
* Existence of, or need for fitting of, appropriate anchorage straps
* Ease of securing child in restraint
* Ease of fastening/unfastening restraint
* Ease of transferring restraint to another vehicle
* Weight of restraint
* Comfort for child
* Lateral/head supports for a young baby or physically disabled child
* Adjustability of harnessing and ease of fastening/adjustment
* Need for extra harness
* Ease of cleaning seat/cover/harness
* Length and conditions of warranty
* AS 1754 approved
* A convertible seat suits a child from birth to approx. 4 years

. Available features:
* Non-attached restraint (held in place by seat belt)
* Booster cushions
* Velcro-fastened protective thigh pads
* Padded head supports
* Padded side wings
* Reclinable restraint - allows more comfortable sleeping
* Baby capsule comprising carry basket and base which remains in car

. Suggestions for children with poor trunk/head control:
* A cushioned seat is more appropriate than a booster cushion - provides lateral trunk and head support.
* Height adjustable shoulder straps.

. Which type of restraint for what age?
* Infants (up to 9kg, about 6 months)
. Always use an approved infant restraint. Don't carry your child in your arms. In a crash you won't be able to hold onto your child. He or she will be thrown around the vehicle interior or thrown out of the vehicle. Keep your child in a rearward-facing restraint until he or she physically won't fit. Before moving to a forward-facing child seat, your child must be able to sit and easily hold his or her upright.

* Young Children (9kg up to approximately 18kg, 6 months to 5 years)
. Always use an approved child seat. You may be tempted to move your child onto a booster cushion when a new brother or sister comes along. This is not recommended. Nothing else offers the same level of crash protection for young children, as a child seat. Our advice is to
continue putting your child in the seat until he or she is too big for it. This is usually when a child simply will not fit in the seat because of shoulder width.

* Convertible Child Restraints (can be positioned either in a rearward or forward facing position).
. Useful for... Convertibles can be useful for occasional child carers, such as grandparents, taxis or rental cars when there is a need to keep a restraint on hand in the car for those occasional trips with children when you have to be able to cope with a wider range of ages in a single restraint.
. A Compromise... The overall level of crash protection offered by convertibles appears to be a compromise, perhaps because they have to operate in two total different models.
Convertibles can be poor value for money. When you consider their comparatively poor crash test and user trial performances, a convertible is not that much cheaper than the combined price of a rearward-facing and a forward-facing restraint.
If a car has one of each restraint type, the older child can occupy the forward-facing child seat and the younger child the infant restraint.
Both even have the protection of a restraint system specifically designed for the purpose, rather than a compromise for one child.
Convertibles are very large, especially when they are being used as a rearward-facing restraint. Fitting a convertible into a small car can mean that the front passenger seat is virtually unusable for an average size person.

. Older Children:
. A booster seat (or cushion) may be needed to improve seat belt fit or to enable your child to see out of the vehicle. As a general guide, buy a rigid booster seat (with a back), side wings and a sash guide to keep the seat belt in place.
. Use an adult lap/sash seat belt or a child harness in conjunction with the centre rear lap belt.
. When using a harness, remember to tightly adjust the lap belt first, and then the harness, just removing the slack.
. The lap belt should always be much tighter than the shoulder harness.
. Never use a booster seat or cushion with just a lap only seat belt.
. Children often fall asleep on journeys and without side support, a sleeping child's upper body may easily slide sideways out of the restraint. When this happens, the restraint is unlikely to work well in a crash.
. Booster seats or cushions shouldn't be used at all if they raise the child's eye height beyond the top edge of the car seat back or the booster seat back, because of the risk of neck injury in a rear end crash.

* Advice on Installing a Restraint Safely:
. To ensure a child restraint gives your child the highest possible level of protection in a crash:
. Read and follow all instructions carefully when installing the restraint and securing your child; note references to common dangerous mistakes and useful travelling safety tips. If the instructions have been lost, most manufacturers will mail out a copy upon request.
. Where possible, install your child restraint in the centre position of your car's back seat; except in the case of a booster seat with a lap only seat belt.
. Ensure the top tether strap and the adult seat belt that keeps the restraint in position are properly adjusted - they shouldn't have any slack. When tightening the seat belt, push the child seat firmly into the car seat, with your body weight, so that the car seat cushions are compressed. This helps ensure a very tight fit, and minimises subsequent movement in a crash.
. Use the minimum number of tether extension straps.
. If you have any problems fitting a child restaint, use the advisory phone numbers or arrange to have the installation done by an authorised fitting station.
. Read the instructions carefully. Don't make the mistake of ignoring the instructions until after all else has failed.
. Ensure the harness shoulder straps are correctly positioned. When using a rearward-facing infant restraint, the shoulder straps should be located at shoulder height or just above the baby's shoulders.
. The shoulder straps in forward-facing restraints can be located up to 25mm below the child's shoulders.
. Adjust the harness firmly. A loose harness won't perform well in a crash, and can lead to other problems, such as the child freeing his or her arms. There should be no twists in the harness. When using a child harness with a lap belt, tighten the lap belt first, then adjust the harness.
. Children, especially young babies can suffer badly because of exposure to the sun. Special window screens are the most effective countermeasure to over exposure. These are designed to block out the sun, but allow you to easily see out of the car.
. Poor air circulation is another problem for young infants. They can become very hot and dehydrate very quickly. Don't put too many clothes on your baby in warm weather. Make sure you direct ventilation to the rear seat where your children are seated.
* Advice on Buying a Second-hand Child Restraint:
. The second-hand market for child car restraints is huge. Therefore the purchase of a second-hand child restraint should be approached with caution. Unless you are buying from someone you know, it will be almost impossible to check its history.
. Do not buy if there are obvious signs of wear on the harness or if the plastic shell or buckle is cracked or broken.
. Test out the buckle and adjusters to be certain they are in working order.

You can also rent or hire restraints; check with your local maternity hospital or community health service, and consult the ILC Hire List.
* If you need hands on help or special fittings, there are RTA authorised restraint fitting stations throughout NSW. If you have any problems fitting or using a child restraint in NSW phone the Roads and Traffic Authority or NRMA.
* Information taken from the NRMA & RTA Buyer's Guide to Child Restraints.

Supplier Information - click to supplier for contacts details

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