FAQs

Yes, there are vehicle restraint options available in Australia that are designed specifically for children with disabilities and medical conditions. This includes special purpose car seats and harnesses/vests.

However, it is important to know that many Australian standard car seats (that you can buy from mainstream stores) are also suitable for children with disabilities and medical conditions. For example, there are forward facing car seats with built-in harnesses. This type of car seat (Type G) is suitable for 50 per cent of children up to at least 10 years of age (labelled as suitable from 6 months to 8 years of age). However once a child outgrows this type of car seat they may need to transition to a special purpose car seat.

Yes. The Australian/New Zealand Standard 4370 Restraint of children with disabilities, or medical conditions, in motor vehicles.

AS/NZS 4370 was last reviewed before the introduction of the NDIS, and the establishment of MACA. To ensure this standard remains relevant and reflects recent research MACA requested a review of AS/NZS 4370, which has been approved. Work is expected to commence late 2022.

In the interim MACA's website brings this standard to life and also provides timely access to information based on our latest research and learnings.

Special purpose car seats are available through disability equipment suppliers who work closely with allied health professionals. Unlike Australian standard car seats they comply with overseas standards or regulations, and come with an extensive range of optional accessories. The selection, issuing and fitment of special purpose car seats therefore requires the allied health professional to work closely with the supplier and other local supports where available.

Our Australian Safety Assessment Program (AuSAP) is developing information resources to ensure allied health professionals and parents have access to the information they need to support safe use.

MACA maintains a national product register.

We have undertaken a scan of Australia to identify all the special purpose car seats available today. In addition, we have scanned the globe to find out what special purpose car seats are available.

We want to ensure that Australian children have access to the most suitable and safest options available in the world today. And of course we want to take this one step further, which is why we have initiated and established the world leading Australian Safety Assessment Program (AuSAP).

Special purpose car seats comply with one or more overseas standards/regulations, however until the establishment of the Australian Safety Assessment Program (AuSAP) we had no independent information about their safety and performance. Refer to MACA's national product register of special purpose car seats.

No. Harnesses/vests do not comply with Australian standards as there is currently no standard for harnesses and vests.

However, Standards Australia is currently developing a new standard (AS 5384 Accessories for seat belts used in motor vehicles). The development work started in February 2022 and is considering the inclusion of harnesses and vests.

MACA is represented on the standard committee responsible for developing this standard.

Despite harnesses and vests being the most commonly prescribed device by Australian allied health professionals, there is a lack of standards and research relating to their design, construction, safety performance and use.

To address these gaps MACA sought funding support and is now leading an Austroads project, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health, to research and investigate harnesses/vests for both Australia and New Zealand.

Most of the harness and vest manufacturer’s instructions advise that the products must always be used with the vehicle seatbelt.

In addition, two harnesses/vests, the Hemco harness and some models of the EZ-ON Vest, use the vehicle anchorage point, and convert the lap-sash seatbelt to a lap-only belt.

MACA is committed to helping build a system that enables access to an appropriate car seat in a timely way for hospital discharge.

To support families, improve current practice and develop an ongoing evidence base, we are working with researchers, AuSAP participants, hospitals, and allied health professionals to address gaps and advance the evidence base. This includes:

• Advancing research into the modification of Australian standard car seats through the generous support of a NeuRA PhD scholarship.
• Investigating and crash testing special purpose car seats designed for hip spica transport through our world leading Australian Safety Assessment Program.
• Working closely with allied health professionals to inform the development of model policies, resources and training to better support health professionals working with hip spica clients.

Unlike standards/regulations in other countries the Australian standard for child restraints does not cater for special purpose car seats.

Until MACA was established there was no national body advocating for the safe transport needs of children with disabilities and medical conditions. The Australian Safety Assessment Program has undertaken some assessment of overseas products, with the Expert Committee identifying the need for further research, testing and review.

After surgery, many children are unable to fit comfortably and safely in their current child restraint due to the shape and size of the hip spica cast or brace. Unfortunately, some families discover only on the day of their child’s surgery that their child restraint is not suitable.

Currently, there’s a lack of evidence base to guide best practice hip spica transport. Until the research base is developed, MACA can only provide general advice.

If the family has an Australian standard Britax car seat, it may be suitable to keep using this restraint after surgery with a Britax “hip spica adjustable crotch buckle” (crotch buckle with extended strap) that can be added to the car seat for the time the child is in the cast/brace.

Britax advises that the crotch buckle with extended strap is only suitable for use with Australian standard Britax child restraints branded:

• Britax Safe-n-Sound
• Safe-n-Sound
• Babylove
• Hipod

A crotch buckle with extended strap provides a longer adjustable crotch buckle strap, that can temporarily replace the car seat’s crotch strap, enabling a longer length to accommodate the child’s hip spica cast.

Britax supplies the crotch buckle with extended strap to approved prescribing organisations (e.g., some Australian hospitals) and safety advocates.

The use of a crotch buckle with extended strap with an Australian standard car seat means the child restraint no longer complies with this standard and is recognised as a modified car seat.

The legal requirements in each state and territory for the use of a modified car seat vary. MACA is working to bring about national consistency, but this may take some time.

In the meantime, to help parents comply with the road laws, MACA has developed specific state and territory information and prescriber templates.

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia