More than 80 percent of child car restraints in Melbourne’s West are incorrectly fitted or used, Kidsafe Victoria says.
CEO Melanie Courtney urgently called on all parents and caregivers to regularly check and adjust their child car restraints, and to book in for a free fitting or inspection through the ‘Safe Seats, Safe Kids’ program.
The program checked more than 900 child car restraints in Wyndham and found 91 percent were incorrectly installed or used.
Just under half (49 percent) required an adjustment, while 40 percent needed a complete refit.
Only two percent needed to be replaced due to being more than 10 years old, having damaged or missing parts, or being an overseas model below Australian standards.
In Hobsons Bay, more than 120 were checked. Ninety-three percent were incorrectly installed or used, with 49 percent requiring adjustment, 42 percent requiring a refit, and 2 percent needing replacement.
In Brimbank, 84 percent of the more than 170 checked were incorrectly fitted or used, with 42 percent adjusted, 41 percent completely refitted and 1 percent replaced.
The program checked more than 320 in Maribyrnong and found 88 percent incorrectly fitted or used.
More than half (52 per cent) required adjustment, 33 percent required complete refit and 3 percent needed replacement.
Kidsafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney said the risk of life-threatening injuries was four to six times greater when child car restraints were incorrectly fitted or used.
“Ensuring child car restraints are properly installed can be challenging for parents if they
haven’t been shown how to do so, which is why the ‘Safe Seats, Safe Kids’ program is so
Important,” she said.
“Many parents and carers who attend one of our free checking days simply don’t know that their child isn’t restrained safely.
“Our accredited fitters ensure the restraint is correctly fitted and also provide education and advice to help parents continue to keep their kids safe on every trip.”
Typical issues identified included:
Top tether straps twisted, connected to the wrong vehicle point, or not connected to an anchor point at all;
Twisted harness straps or harness straps at the incorrect height;
Seatbelts threaded through the incorrect path;
ISOFIX attachments not secured correctly; and
Children in the wrong sized restraint.
Transport related incidents are one of the leading causes of accidental death for Australian children.
About seven children aged under 15 years are killed on Victorian roads each year, with about another 300 injured.
Kidsafe Victoria runs ‘Safe Seats, Safe Kids’ in partnership with Neighbourhood Houses Victoria and with State Government support.
Pakenham MP Emma Vulin said encouraged all parents and carers to book in for a free child car restraint fitting or check at their local Safe Seats, Safe Kids day.
“Not only will it provide you with peace of mind, it will also help to keep your kids safe,” she said.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria CEO Keir Paterson said ‘Safe Seats, Safe Kids’ provided a vital service to local communities that many families might not otherwise be able to afford.
Visit www.safeseatssafekids.com.au to book a free appointment to have a child car restraint installed or inspected at the Pakenham Living and Learning Centre, Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Centre or Pakenham Outlook Community Centre, where free fitting and checking days are regularly held.
A free e-learning tool for choosing, installing and using child car restraints correctly is available at safeseatssafekids.com.au/courses/child-car-restraints.
For information and advice on the best practice guidelines for safely transporting children, visit safeseatssafekids.com.au/resources.
