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The WA Department of Transport web site has the following information about the
requirement for child restraints in motor vehicles:
Drivers are legally responsible for ensuring that children are suitably restrained in a vehicle in
accordance with Seatbelt rules:
From birth up to the age of six months to be restrained in a rearward facing child restraint (for
example: infant capsule).
From six months up to the age of four years to be restrained in either a rearward or forward
facing child restraint with in-built harness.
From four years up to the age of seven years to be restrained in either a forward facing child
restraint or booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seat belt or child safety
harness.
Children seven years and over can be restrained in an adult seat belt or booster seats.
If a child is not wearing a seat belt or a suitable child restraint as required by the law, then the
driver risks being fined and incurring demerit points. You must not drive your vehicle with
unrestrained children in it if there are positions with seat belts available.
Before you purchase or install a child restraint, make sure it complies with Australian
Standards.
If you need more information go to the Road Safety Commission’s or Department of
Transport’s websites or Google “seat belts WA” or “child restraints WA”.
VSCC secretary David Moir has looked into the situation regarding carrying children in
classic and historic cars. It appears that the exemptions previously issued by the Department
of Transport will no longer be available, so this is a matter that has become very important
for those of us who wish to carry small children in our classics.
David's conclusions were first published in
Healeys West,
the magazine of the Healey Club
of WA. This version has been edited to suit the needs of the VSCC and
Vintage Metal.
While the laws on child restraints are complex, they do follow common sense. So if you’re
planning to carry kids in your classic car, think about these things:
■ If there are seat belts fitted, use them to either secure the child car restraint or, if the child is
seven or more years old, the child itself (you may also need to use an additional child restraint
anchorage point to secure the child car restraint).
■ If your classic has no seat belts, don’t carry any children under seven years old.
■ If your car has rear seats without seat belts, don’t carry any children in the back unless you’ve
correctly fitted a child car restraint.
■ Any of our classics that were built before 1969 are not required to be fitted with seat belts.
However, if your car has seat belts fitted, they must be used.
■ “Racing harnesses” are recognised as seat belts so if a seat has a harness and no other
seatbelt, the harness should be used (and correctly adjusted) – once again the “common sense”
rule applies.
On a similar safety theme, some of us like to take our dogs in the car. The law does not require
dogs to be restrained, but in a small, open car such as an MG, Healey or the like it’s a good idea
to stop them jumping out, licking your face and otherwise distracting the driver. You can buy
car restraints for dogs but their lead can also suffice if it can be secured or held by a passenger.
Child Restraints and Classic Cars