*Image credit: Britax

In the past, ACRI have been made aware of some people being fined due to the police’s interpretation of the road rules and concluding the child is too old to be rearward facing yet still being within the limits of the child’s car safety seat.  It’s understandable, and not completely uncommon, for these road rules to be misinterpreted sometimes as they are worded fairly hard and fast, with a small excerpt located elsewhere in the documents.

Technically this should never be an issue, even for a child that is 4+ years as road rules allow for an excemption* due to there being so many diverse factors involved – however you may come across this question in different variations.

Best Practice: It is always recommended that a child remain rearward facing for as long as their child safety seat reasonably allows, before they move onto the next stage.

If a member of ACRI or their client comes across this issue we are here to help, so reach out and let us know!

*Exampled here from the Transport for NSW government website

Related Article:  When is a child ready for the next stage of restraint?

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