Buying a child car seat

All child car seats sold and used in Australia must comply with the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1754 Child Restraint Systems for Use in Motor Vehicles. The standard is one of the strictest in the world. Child car seats marked with this standard offer better protection for your child in a crash.

Child car seats are designed to match a child's age and size. When you buy a child car seat you need to consider:

• The age and size of your child. 
• If the car seat will fit in your vehicle.

Ratings explained details the crash protection and ease-of-use ratings of child car seats on this website. All child car seats on this website meet the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1754. However, this sets the minimum safety standards for child car seats. Seats with higher star ratings are more highly recommended as the more stars seats have, the more they exceed the minimum safety requirements. 

A child seat that is easier to use is more likely to be used correctly. Child car seats that are correctly fitted offer better protection.

In booster seats, look for ones with:

• Sash guides or locators that will position the sash belt comfortably at your child's shoulder level.
• Features to prevent 'submarining', which occurs when a child slips under the lap section of the seatbelt during a crash, with the potential for serious or fatal injury.