Road safety education

Throughout the stages of child development, parents and carers play a critical role in ensuring their children - whether as infants, children or as young adults - are safer on the road.

What parents can do

For parents of children up to 4 years
For parents of children up to 8 years
For parents of children up to 12 years
For parents of teenagers up to 18 years

For parents of children up to 4 years

See our section on Smart Steps parent resources

For parents of children up to 8 years
Here are some tips to use when teaching your child how to stay safe in traffic.

• Restraints
• Safety door
• I am a safe passenger
• Safer passengers
• Using public transport
• Hold my hand
• Safer places to cross
• Walk and talk
• Take a walk together
• Getting in and out
• Staying safe in car parks
• Crossing the road
• To and from the bus
• Safer ways to get to and from school
• Helmet safety check
• Choosing and fitting helmets
• Checking bikes
• Off-road injury
• Bright clothes day

For parents of children up to 12 years

• Restraints
• Entry and exit
• Using public and community transport
• Safer passengers
• Crossing roads
• Safer places to cross
• To and from the bus
• Pedestrian hazards
• Safer ways to get to and from school
• Selecting and maintaining a bicycle
• Safer cycling tips
• Scooters, skateboards and other wheeled devices
• Choosing and fitting a helmet
• Cyclists and the law

For parents of teenagers up to 18 years

• Pedestrian safety issues for young people
• Getting home safely
• Cycling safety
• Scooters, roller skates and skateboards
• Learner drivers
• P-plate drivers
 

Child Car Restraints

Your child is safest in a correctly fitted child car restraint. Child car restraints are designed to provide the best available protection to your child.
Wearing a restraint is law and require that children -

• From birth to the age of six months be restrained in a rearward facing child restraint (e.g. infant capsule);
• From six months until the age of four years be restrained in either a forward facing child restraint or booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seatbelt or child safety harness. 
• From four years until the age of seven years be restrained in either a forward facing child restraint or booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seatbelt or child safety harness.
   

Children over the age of seven years can be restrained in an adult seatbelt, as the law currently allows.

All children aged up to 16 years travelling in a car must be restrained in an approved child car restraint.

Approved child car restraints are marked with the code AS/NZS 1754 which indicates that the car restraint meets strict requirements regarding the materials, design, construction, performance, testing and labelling.

When choosing a restraint you need to ensure a restraint suits your child, car and individual needs.
It pays to get an approved person to fit your child's restraint.

An incorrectly fitted child car restraint can result in an increased risk of injury.

For more information on suitable child car restraints see the child car restraint brochure [pdf 1.10MB] and fact sheets.
For information on child car restraint fitting services visit www.childcarrestraints.com.au