child car seat regulations vic

Victoria’s child car seat rules are blissfully clear: babies up to 6 months must be in a rear‑facing approved restraint. From 6 months to under 4 years, they must be in a rear‑ or forward‑facing seat with an inbuilt harness, and from 4 to under 7 years it’s a forward‑facing seat with harness or a booster used with a properly adjusted seatbelt. Kids under 4 can’t sit in the front seat of a car with two or more rows; those 4 to under 7 can only use the front if all rear seats are already occupied by under‑7s, and they must still be in the correct restraint. Over 7s can use an adult seatbelt, but stick with a booster until the belt fits correctly (the famous five‑step test, not a pub quiz). Only use restraints that meet AS/NZS 1754, fitted to the correct anchor/ISOFIX points and adjusted to the child’s size. Do that, and you’re legal—and more importantly, keeping the smallest VIPs properly protected.