To install a booster seat in Australia, place it in the back seat, locate the vehicle's anchor point for the tether strap, attach and tighten the strap (if required, depending on seat weight), then thread the vehicle's lap-sash seatbelt through the booster's belt guide, ensuring the lap belt sits low on the hips and the sash belt crosses the middle of the chest/shoulder before buckling and checking the fit. Always read your specific booster seat and vehicle manuals first.
Booster seats must be used with either a standard lap-and-sash type seatbelt or an approved child safety harness. Never use a booster seat with a lap seatbelt alone. Booster seats heavier than 2kg must be anchored to an anchorage point.
Booster seats can be used either by installation via LATCH or by placing the booster on top of the vehicle seat. Most manufacturers leave the choice up to consumers.
$200 per anchor point for design and installation of a fall arrest system. $300-$350 per anchor point for design and installation of a rope access system.
Boosters don't need to be attached to vehicle seat to do their job of positioning the seatbelt safely. Some boosters come with LATCH to keep the empty seat from becoming a projectile, but you can achieve the same thing by buckling the empty booster in with the seatbelt when it's unoccupied.
Children aged 7 years to under 16 years must travel in either a forward facing child restraint, a booster seat or an adult seatbelt. An adult lap-sash seatbelt is designed for people with a minimum height of 145 cm. The average child will reach this height between 10 and 12 years of age.
For a 7-year-old, a backless booster is often acceptable if they meet height/weight minimums, have the maturity to sit still, and pass the 5-Step Test for proper adult seatbelt fit (lap belt low on hips, sash across mid-shoulder). However, high-back boosters offer better side-impact protection and guide belt placement, making them safer until the child is big enough (around 4'9") for a regular seatbelt, which might be later than age 7, so continue boosting until they consistently pass the 5-Step Test.
Secure Booster
Once you have located or fitted anchor points, attach and tighten the tether strap to secure the booster seat in place. NOTE: Make sure the seat is tightly secured but don't allow the base of the booster seat to lift off the car seat.
Anchoring a belt-positioning booster seat means attaching it to the vehicle seat using either the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system or Lower Anchors. Not all booster seats include LATCH, but some models do offer it as an added feature.
Children must normally use a child car seat until they're 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first. Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt. You can choose a child car seat based on your child's height or weight.
Booster seats that only use the seat belt to secure the child, and don't secure the seat, gain no additional safety benefit from the LATCH system. It's there mainly for convenience: the child can get in the seat themselves without it shifting and it doesn't become "free" when not in use.
A 4-year-old might use a backless booster, but it depends heavily on their height, weight, and maturity, with high-back boosters generally safer and recommended longer; they must meet the booster's minimum height/weight, be mature enough to sit properly, and their vehicle seat must support their head, or they need a high-back booster for safety. Always check the booster's manual and prioritize staying in a harnessed seat longer if possible.
The tether is the most important part of every forward facing car seat in that it significantly reduces the risk of brain and spinal cord injury. If there is no tether anchor, a child in a forward-facing car seat should not ride in this vehicle.
All un-tethered boosters need to offer back and side protection as well as being below 2kg in weight. Using untethered booster seats correctly ensures your child's safety during trips. Always check the specifications for compliance with safety standards.
If your car doesn't have top tethers anchors — some older models don't — your car dealer can retrofit them for any car dating back to 1989. Just step into a dealership; they can do it for you or provide you with an anchor kit.
The Vehicle Owner's Manual (VOM) will specify where these pre-threaded holes are located if there are any. This is the only circumstance in which a non-approved person can add an anchorage point to the car.
Professional car seat installation costs typically range from $45 to $55 for a single seat, with potential discounts for multiple seats or members, and sometimes free services are available through local councils or for concession card holders, but always budget extra for any parts like extension straps or anchor bolts.
“The performance benchmarks for the safety of roof anchors are two Australian Standards: AS/NZS 1891 and AS/NZS 5532, so Defender anchors are tested against both.” “Testing needs to be as realistic as possible. That's why Defender™ anchors are tested on all sorts of roof types.