It was recently reported that almost one in four children are in the wrong car seat – despite changes to road rules. Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety says it has discovered that almost one in four parents are moving children into booster seats too quickly, despite changes in laws that encourage them to use child seats.
Standards play an important role in ensuring products, services and systems are safe, reliable and perform the way they were intended to. The CFA representative Prof Raphael Grzebieta is on the Standards Australia Technical Committee CS-085 Child restraints for use in motor vehicles. The committee is currently revising the Australian and New Zealand Standards on child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles; methods of testing child restraints; accessories for child restraints; and restraints of children with disabilities in motor vehicles. The main issues being considered in the revision are:
- ensuring child restraints have acceptable levels of safety
- considering whether ISOfix should be available to consumers to benefit from easier child restraint installation and ensuring there is no detriment to safety if accepted
- considering whether older children from 4 to 10 years of age to benefit from the use of 6 point harness rather than relying on just seat belts and booster seat
- considering whether low birth weight babies to be retained in Type A child restraints.
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a CFA Standards Representative please contact the Standards Coordinator standards@consumeraction.org.au