Citation

Griffiths M, Brown J, Kelly P. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Enhanced Safety Vehicles 1995; 1995: 1655-1667.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, In public domain, Publisher National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper reviews the following topics: (1) the development of child restraint systems in Australia; (2) current development work for improved standards; (3) lessons learnt from real world performances; and (4) experience with reducing misuse. Australian child restraints have taken on some unusual features compared to their North American and European counterparts: (a) Infant restraints are generally confined to the rear seat; (b) The most popular infant restraint is a detachable hand held capsule which leaves the base semi-permanently mounted in the car; (c) Most children go into forward facing restraints at the age of 5 or 6 months; (d) The forward facing restraints use a virtually mandatory 6 point harness with dual crotch straps, no shield style devices, no shoulder harness clips; (e) Top tether straps since 1976; (f) The Australian Standard is also arguably the toughest performance standard in the world with four separate crash sled tests for frontal, rearward, sideways and inverted impacts; and (g) network of "Safety Restraint Fitting Stations" and associated developments resulting in misuse rates falling to below 20%. Australia also looks forward to better booster chairs offering higher levels of protection for the four to ten year olds, and the incorporation of integrated child seats into new cars.