Child Restraints and Anchorage Points
All vehicles sold in Australia must meet certain safety requirements, called Australian Design Rules. For child restraints, the most important design rule is the provision of anchorage points.
If your car was built after the dates below, it will have anchorage points:
- sedans manufactured after July 1976
- station wagons manufactured after January 1977
- hatchbacks manufactured after January 1977
- light passenger vans (up to 12 seats) manufactured after January 1986
- four-wheel-drives manufactured after July 1990
Generally, sports cars, commercial vehicles and vehicles built before the above dates do not have anchorage points.
Installing an anchorage point
In most cases, if your vehicle doesn't have an anchorage point , you should be able to get one installed. The cost of installing an anchorage point varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Child car seats are used on forward facing seats only and are not suitable for vehicle seats that face sideways or to the rear.
If your car doesn't have child restraint anchorage points, the RACQ or Queensland Transport can help you find an approved installer in your area.
The diagram above shows the hook anchor kit, which is the current style of anchor.
The diagram to the right shows the older style (pre 1992) keyhole anchor kit. The RACQ recommends that you replace these style of anchors.
For more information, call RACQ on 13 1905.
