Passenger Safety

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Nearly 80% of children aged 0 to 4 years killed or injured in traffic-related crashes (PDF 253kb) are passengers. Babies need protection as passengers even before birth. During pregnancy, protect both yourself and your baby by wearing an approved and correctly fitted seatbelt. After birth, the first trip that many children make as passengers is when they are brought home as babies. Keep young children safe as passengers on their first and every trip.

• Buckle them up in an approved child restraint or booster seat that is right for their age and size (PDF 149kb);
• Choose the safest restraint. Check with the official Child Car Seats website which reports test results and rates child restraint and booster seat safety;
• Contact an Authorised Restraint Fitter to check and correctly fit your child’s restraint and to help you choose one with the highest level of passenger protection;
• Remember that as children grow, their restraint needs change, just as their shoe and clothes sizes change;
• Make sure children under 4 years sit in the back seat. Children between 4 and 7 years can only sit in the front seat if all the back seats are taken up by children under 7 years NSW Road Rules 266 (3,3A);
• Share the Kids and Traffic passenger safety messages (PDF 183kb) with children as you travel together;
• Understand why young children’s behaviour can sometimes be a challenge (PDF 170kb) to families as they travel together;
• Plan ahead to make travelling safely a positive experience –
  • avoid driver distraction (PDF 182kb)
  • agree on simple rules (PDF 208kb) for all the children and adults in the car,
  • keep your children busy (PDF 1Mb) as you travel together;
• Transport young children safely (PDF 174kb) even in larger passenger vehicles or buses;
• Ensure children with additional needs travel safely (PDF 583kb);
• Make sure that children are NEVER left alone in a vehicle (PDF 140kb).

The Kids and Traffic team contributed to a passenger safety song, “Click-clack”, on the ABC album, “Let’s Go Play: Happy, Healthy Kids”.  Why not come along to Kids and Traffic workshops for more learning and teaching ideas using this and other road safety songs!  … and share this ‘Buckle up for safety’ booklet with families.