does a 7 year old need a booster seat in victoria

In Victoria, Australia, the law is as clear as a freshly cleaned windscreen: children must use an appropriate child restraint until they are either 7 years old or big enough to fit properly in a standard seatbelt. For a 7-year-old, that usually means a booster seat is still very much in play, unless they hit the height threshold of 148 cm. Without the booster, the seatbelt won’t sit correctly over the child's shoulder and hips, which is a fast track to discomfort and danger.

Key points:

• Use a booster seat for kids under 7 years old or under 148 cm tall.
• After 7 years or 148 cm, a standard seatbelt is fine.

So, unless your 7-year-old is a basketball prodigy towering over their peers, buckle them into a booster. For official and updated info, check the Victorian Road Safety Rules or ServiceCentral.