Seatbelts and child restraints

Vehicle restraint compliance has been a Road Safety focus in Federation Council for a few years now.

About 13% of injury and fatality crashes in Federation Council each year involve non-use of seat belts or incorrect seat belt usage.

Some of these fatalities and injuries could have been prevented if all children occupied the right restraint for their size and age and if restraints were installed and used correctly. Parents or carers should choose a restraint that provides the highest available level of protection and make sure it is used correctly every time.

In 2021 and 2022 we conducted a total of 3 Child Restraint Fitting days covering the towns of Corowa, Howlong, Mulwala, Rand and Urana.

These days have targeted parents of young children as well as our Mobile Pre-School service and vehicles. 44 vehicles were checked at these sessions, where our restraint checking specialist was able to educate many parents. What he reported was that the majority of child restraints had been fitted incorrectly. With the rise in online purchasing in recent years, it follows that many parents are purchasing their child car seats online, rather than through a bricks and mortar store that is able to supply a strong level of sales support and advice.