Transport accidents are among the leading cause of accidental death in children.
Are There Recommendations for Car Seat or Baby Seat Use?
Child seats sold in Australia have key safety features that reduce the risks to a child while travelling in a motor vehicle. Never leave your baby unattended in the car – not even for a short time.
Each child restraint must:
- be correctly installed
- have the Standards Australia mark
- suit your child’s weight and size
- be replaced if involved in an accident
Once your trip is over it is very important that you remove baby from the car seat or capsule, even if this means waking baby. It is not safe for baby to spend long periods in car seats, capsules or infant seats. If taking a long journey, remember to rest and stretch every 2 hours. This includes your child, so remove them from their seat as well when you take a break.
Research has shown that:
- babies left sleeping in a sitting position may be at increased risk for sudden infant death
- car or baby seats may cause baby’s neck to fall forward which may block baby’s airway reducing or stopping airflow
- falls from car seats used as infant carriers are common and represent a significant source of head injury for baby
It is required by law that you place baby in a correctly fitted infant restraint that meets the Australian standard AS/NZS 1754 for every trip in the car.
View the six safe sleep recommendations to find out how to safely sleep your baby.
Did you find this helpful?
Good job! Please give your positive feedback
How could we improve this post? Please Help us.
