ok a friend was charged with having her two year old backwards. In court they showed "proof" of the law requiring you to turn them at 12kgs or 12 months which ever comes first. DS is only 12 kg now but has been turned since this incident happened with my friend... when ds was 14 months...
She was charged. She had the child in a minor accident and facing the wrong way ( backwards )
Im not going to argue about you tube videos they are clearly international and have nothing to do with Aus or the law...
this incident happened in nsw.... anyhow, do what you like but she no longer has custody of her child...
That would be before the new national laws came into effect then......the laws are different now since March 2010 in NSW
The new national child restraint laws state:
* Children younger than six months must be secured in a rearward facing restraint.
* Children aged six months to under four years must be secured in either a rear or forward facing restraint.
M2R That's terrible! I feel for your friend When did that happen? The laws are supposed to have changed recently, or at least that is what I thought. I am trying to find out exactly what the laws are now as new seats are coming into stores now. It's ridiculous that you can be charged for trying to make your child safe Is your friend going to get her baby back soon? I really do feel for her, there are parents out there doing horrible, neglectful things and still have their children it's just wrong.
Two things or two sets of regulations have changed which is where it gets confusing. The regulations on the use of carseats have changed, they used to be diff from state to state but over the last eighteen or so months new national laws have been phased in so everyone has to follow the same laws regarding usage...also to confuse the issue the design standards by which carseat manufacturers make the carseats have changed mean carseats have to meet new regulations to be approved...this is still being phased in and new seats are coming the market all the time....it's all a bit confusing in the carseat world at the momentwith everything changing so rapidly......
and yes I am very sorry for your friend M2R it is worng that a person who is trying to keep her child safe should be punished like that....
Thanks melbel, I didn't see your other post when I posted before. It is sooo confusing! I want to rear face as long as possible, I think DS is just over 12kg now, but we haven't turned him as length wise it still seems ok, as in his head isn't at or above the seat at the moment. I guess that could be the wrong thing to do but I read that fit is as important as weight too. We want to import a seat but not sure on what happens with insurance. Going on a previous post insurance could be void if you do Shouldn't be this bloody hard !
M2R - that's horrible - and also hard to believe that your child could be taken away for trying to keep them safe by rear facing for longer in a seat that properly fits. Was something else going on (not to insult your friend, but I do find it hard to believe that this was the one & only factor). With plenty of proof that rear facing is safer, the standards in Australia do not make me happy.
Hi. Was just reading down through this thread. Am preparing for a move to Oz in a few months and joined up here to get a grip on being a mom in OZ!! My DD1 is nearly 3 and travels in a Norwegian BE SAFE Izi Combi with Isofix - rearfacing. She should get another six months or so out of this seat before I have to turn her forward facing. This is one if not the best rear facing seat on the market in Europe - I have done my homework. I have two of these seats and was hoping to use them with DD2 when DD1 grows out of them. DD2 is now 6 months! I have been searching the net for information on rearfacing seats in Australia but cannot find one that goes past 12kgs, but it was my understanding that a child could be rearfacing up to age 4. I find this baffling!! And the temptation to bring my seats with me and hope for the best but to end up in court charged with child endangerment!!! Do cars have Isofix points in them in Australia? Thanks a million!
I think some imported cars have isofix but it's not common in Australia. We've just moved to the states and I'm liking our new seats more than the ones back in Oz.
they are clearly international and have nothing to do with Aus or the law...
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When did that happen? The laws are supposed to have changed recently, or at least that is what I thought. I am trying to find out exactly what the laws are now as new seats are coming into stores now. It's ridiculous that you can be charged for trying to make your child safe 
Is your friend going to get her baby back soon? I really do feel for her, there are parents out there doing horrible, neglectful things and still have their children it's just wrong.
Shouldn't be this bloody hard !
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