Child car seats

In the Northern Territory (NT), all children under the age of 7 must use a car seat when travelling in a vehicle.

A car seat:

• reduces the chance of serious injury or death from a car crash
• protects your child from being ejected from the vehicle.

You must use the right car seat for your child’s age and size and it must be fitted correctly.

Car seat challenges

Some children may need extra support in their car seats. This could be because of a:

• disability
• permanent or temporary medical condition.

Some children also learn how to unbuckle themselves while travelling.

If you need further advice or support, go to the Mobility and Accessibility for Children and Adults (MACA) website.

Types of seats

Depending on your child’s age, you may need a car seat that is:

• rear facing – must be used for children from birth to 6 months
• forward-facing  – can be used from 6 months to 7 years
• booster seat – can be used from 4 years to 7 years.

Seat adjustments

Get familiar with the minimum height markers on your child's seat. These markers will help guide you for when it's time to move to a forward-facing seat or a bigger seat.

As your child grows, you will need to check if their straps need adjusting. The straps should sit just above your child’s shoulders.

Buying a new car seat

Car seats will clearly display what age group they are intended to be used for.

All seats sold in Australia must meet Australian Standards (AS/NZS1754, version, 2004, 2010 or 2013). This is identified with a sticker on the hard plastic shell of the seat. The sticker will have 5 white ticks on a red background.

The Australian Standard is one of the most stringent in the world. If you purchased a car seat from overseas, it may not meet this standards and cannot be legally used.

Used car seats

If you’d like to reuse a car seat, you must be certain that it:

• meets the Australian Standard – look for the sticker
• is not more than 10 years old
• has not been in a crash
• is not damaged - free of cracks or splits to the plastic shell or buckle
• is in working condition - strong adjustable straps, the buckle locks and unlocks.

Anchor points in cars

Car seats will either use an:

• anchor point and seatbelt or
• anchor point and ISOFIX fitting.

ISOFIX fittings are metal clips between each of the rear passenger seats.

Anchor points are normally located:

• on the car ceiling or
• behind the rear passenger seat.

All modern cars will have anchor points, while some will have ISOFIX. Check your vehicle is compatible with the car seat you intend to buy.

Read more about child restraints and anchorages PDF (561.0 KB).

Safety checks

Regularly check that:

• the straps are adjusted to the height of your child
• the tether strap and the harness are not twisted and are properly connected
• your child is below the height markers of the car seat
• you can fit only 1 finger between the child and their car seat straps.

Putting a car seat in

A car seat must be put in correctly for it to be safe.

Use the instructions that came with your seat. If you don’t have the instructions, check the manufacturer's website.

Kidsafe NT and other experts in road safety recommend the rear centre seat as the safest position because it offers extra protection in side collisions. If the rear centre seat isn't an option, the rear left passenger side seat is the next safest choice as it will typically be away from traffic and closes to the road side.

For more information, go to the KidsSafeNT website.

When to start using passenger seats

Passenger seats can be used by children older than 7 years of age who have outgrown their car seat.

The back seat gives more protection in a crash than front seats, it is recommended that you fill the back seats first.

Using the front seat

If all the back seat rows are occupied by younger children, a child older than 4 years can sit in the front with the appropriate car seat.

If there are no back seats such as a single cab ute or van, the front seat can be used with the right car seat for the child. However, most car makers will advise against placing rear-facing car seats in front seats, due to concerns about airbag deployment in a car accident.

Children older than 7 years can also ride in the front if necessary.

Taxis and buses

Taxis do not have to provide child seats, but must:

• use an approved car seat if available
• not seat a child under 4 years of age in the front
• only allow a child older than 4 years to sit in the front when all other seats are occupied by younger children.

On buses with more than 12 seats, car seats are not required. However, minibuses or small buses with less than 12 seats must use a car seat.