Since I became a parent four years ago I’ve become more aware of how dangerous a car can be to a child, so I was very happy when it finally became law that children between one and seven must sit in an approved car seat.
Even though my eldest son is about to turn four I always insisted he travel in a car seat after he grew too big for the seat he had as a baby. My youngest son is about to outgrow his baby seat and will soon be joining his big brother in sitting in a booster with a harness.
From March 1, it became law in NSW that:
* 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
* Children aged four years to under seven years must be secured in forward facing child restraint or booster seat
* Children younger than four years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows
* Children aged four years to under seven years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows, unless all other back seats are occupied by children younger than seven years in a child restraint or booster seat*
I knew I was definitely not alone in following these recommendations before they became law. My friend Amanda Gonzalez shared my view, and assumed when she booked a taxi to travel to Sydney airport from her home in Coogee on March 1 that there would be suitable car seat for her two-year-old son Lex. After all, it was law then.
“Most taxi companies would only have capsules – and if they did have seats, they were only up until 12 months, because when I was trying to book it in February anyone above 12 months could legally ride with a normal seatbelt,” Amanda explained. “But we were travelling on March 1, which was the first day the laws came in.”
After spending several days ringing around Sydney’s taxi companies Amanda became frustrated and annoyed. “I finally got someone who would agree to have a car seat, but they couldn’t tell me whether it would fit Lex or not. They couldn’t guarantee it was even going to turn up and secondly, if it did turn up, whether he was going to fit. They said that’s the risk I had to take.”
Even a taxi service that promoted itself as being a specialist in mobility wouldn’t guarantee a car seat to suit a child over 12 months.
“We ended up hiring a private car from Green Tomato Cars, because they were the only people who would guarantee us a car seat,” Amanda said, adding that it cost her $120 for this service to and from the airport, compared with the $40-60 it would have been in a taxi.
“We live 9km away from Sydney airport. But I would use these people again – they were so professional, they were here early, the car was impeccable, the driver was in a suit and tie and when we came off the flight half an hour early they were there with a printed sign. It was wonderful, a great experience, but it was $120.”
Even in Fiji, where the family was travelling, there was a car seat fitted in their car without a fuss. “So if a country who is having huge political problems and has been battered by a cyclone can manage to present a car seat, I’m pretty sure Sydney can manage it,” Amanda said.
A booster seat and harness that would fit a child up to seven years can be easily bought at Big W, Target or even a car accessory store for less than $100. Why are these companies resisting when it costs so little? What is a child’s life worth?
* From RTA website: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/children/childrestraints/index.html
Tags: car seats
The RTA has a great information booth at the Royal Easter Show this year. If you are going it is worth checking out as the staff explain the new laws and measure and weight your children so you know exactly which seat your child should be in.
Try getting a Qld taxi with a carseat. We booked one to go from the airport to the ferry terminal, and it arrived with no carseat. We had to hold our 1 year old and the driver said not to worry. Most taxis have no carseat option!