car seat laws victoria Page 9

Ah, the labyrinth of car seat laws in Victoria—because apparently, letting kids loose in a moving vehicle without rules is a grand idea. Here’s the skinny: children under 7 years must use an approved child restraint suitable for their age and size. From birth to under 6 months, a rear-facing baby capsule is your best mate. Toddlers aged 6 months to under 4 years should be strapped into a forward-facing child seat with an inbuilt harness, while kids from 4 to under 7 years can graduate to a booster seat. Once they hit 7, seat belts become their new best friend.

Fail to comply, and you’re staring down a hefty fine plus demerit points—because safety isn’t optional. For the nitty-gritty details, servicecentral.com.au is a good stop to make sure you’re not inadvertently auditioning for the Darwin Awards.