Children who get out of their car seat

There is a range of products and devices that have been developed over the years with the aim of reducing the risk of buckle release. This includes buckle covers, harnesses/vests and special purpose car seats with anti-escape features. The national register of products includes information about which products provide or have optional anti-escape features.

Buckle covers, intended to prevent the child from releasing their restraint buckle, are the most common assistive technology products prescribed to manage buckle release challenges.

There are two types of buckle covers:

• Child restraint buckle cover: an accessory product placed over the top of the buckle release on the built-in harness of a child car seat.

• Seatbelt buckle cover: an accessory product placed over the top of the vehicle seatbelt buckle to prevent the occupant from accessing the seatbelt’s release button.

Buckle covers may impact on the child’s safety if they cannot be quickly released from the vehicle seat in an emergency.

MACA’s buckle cover model policy will assist you in ensuring parents are informed of the potential for unintended consequences, and what you can do to increase support and strategies for the child and family if needed.

No. The Australian Standard AS 8005 Accessories for child restraints used in motor vehicles (current version 2020) includes requirements for the design, safety and performance of accessories, which includes child restraint and seatbelt buckle covers. No manufacturer has developed a buckle cover certified to this standard, which was first introduced in 2013.

Whilst we acknowledge that there’s a real need for buckle covers to help prevent children from getting out of their car restraint or seatbelt during travel, there are safety considerations you need to be aware of.

• Many buckle covers need a key or other device to undo them. In the event of a crash or emergency, this could prevent the child from being quickly and easily released from the vehicle. Some buckle covers are supplied with a seatbelt cutter which is recommended to be always kept in the vehicle when the child is using the buckle cover. In an emergency the child can be released by cutting the seatbelt or child restraint webbing. Our model policy recommends that a seatbelt cutter be kept in each vehicle the child travels in (these are low cost and available online), and that parents and other persons transporting the child are educated in what to do in an emergency.

• In some cases, using a buckle cover encourages the child to find another way to get out of the restraint. For example, when a buckle cover is used on the seatbelt, children find that they can lift the sash and/or lap parts of the seatbelt away from their body and slip out from under the lap part of the seatbelt. This is a significant road safety risk.

Yes. There are larger forward facing car seats with built-in harnesses. This type of restraint (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). If the child is travelling in a booster seat, reintroducing an Australian standard car seat with a built-in harness may assist, this could also be combined with a buckle cover.

Our project found that there are significant differences in state and territory requirements for the legal use of both child restraint and seatbelt buckle covers. We continue to work closely with state and territory road agencies to ensure the laws in each state and territory are clear, and do not present barriers to supporting the safe transport of children.

MACA trained allied health professionals can assist with assessing and prescribing for children's motor vehilce transport needs, and supporting families in complying with the road laws in the relevant state or territory.