A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald revealed something pretty shocking: most parents are confused about basic car seat safety.
An Australian study showed that more than half of the parents that responded aren’t sure when to move their child out of the car seat and into an adult seat – a decision that can increase their risk of serious injury by 30 percent. And, according to the NSW Government Centre for Road Safety, two out of three Australian car seats are not being used properly.
We sat down with Ali Akbarian, General Manager at Mobility Engineering, to clear the air on car seats – and find out exactly when and how to use them.
Moving on from the car seat
Though height is actually the safest marker to go by when deciding when a child is ready to leave their car seat, Akbarian says most parents aren’t acutely aware of their children’s heights – or when those heights top the car seat scale.
There are also many children – about 10 to 15 percent – who don’t fit the average profile for height and weight. For these reasons, Akbarian says parents should pay attention to how their child fits into the seat, as well as heed manufacturer instructions.
“The best way to know if your child fits is to put your child in the seat and check for the shoulder line markers,” Akbarian said. “My best advice? Follow the manufacturers instructions. So many parents don’t read the instruction booklet and therefore do not install their child seat or fit their child correctly. It’s the biggest problem. If you’ve lost the booklet, there’s a condensed version on the seat itself.”
Car seat safety resources
For parents that aren’t confident about fitting their child’s car seat, Akbarian recommends seeing a licensed fitter to handle the task. These services are available in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia but are woefully underused.
“Less than 50 percent of parents use the service,” Akbarian said. “Most people wing it. Why? It’s a combination of people living in regional and areas that can’t get the service, and a lack of awareness.”
Though there are other restraint accessories that claim to improve safety for child
passengers by restricting the child's exit from the seat, such as buckle guards, strap guards and other items, Akbarian says to avoid these completely.
“Restraint accessories that restrict your exit from the vehicle are extremely dangerous in event of an accident when people are in panic mode,” he said. “The best thing is to educate your kids about keeping their seatbelts on. Most kids will comply if they understand the danger.”
Other ways to improve safety
There are lots of resources out there for parents looking for car seat or safety support. The government’s ChildCarSeats.com.au website, for example, is a great place to start. It has a car seat ratings guide, fitting instructions and more.
However, Akbarian cautions that paying more for a car seat doesn’t always mean a safer ride for your child – so pay attention to ratings like those on the Government’s site.
“All Australian car seats and boosters meet Australian standards – which are among the highest in the world,” Akbarian said. “The most important thing is to learn how, and feel comfortable, to use it. If you don’t know how to use it, then the safety rating doesn’t matter.”
Akbarian’s Mobility Engineering operates a nationally accredited training facility in Hornsby, NSW and offers public car seat safety course on a regular basis. Mobility Engineering also offers a child restraint fitting service, as well as workshops for teachers, child care providers and more. Check out Akbarian’s recent speech or go to MobilityEngineering.com.au for more info.
If you need help choosing the right car seat for your family, please get in contact with one of our experts or chat to us online.
