Seat belts must be worn on short, as well as long trips.
Many crashes occur within a close distance to the driver’s home. Even if you are just
going to the local shops, you must wear your seat belt.
Seat belts must be worn by pregnant women.
Seat belts must be worn by pregnant women unless they have a current medical
certificate exempting them from this requirement. A seat belt worn correctly across the
hips (below the baby) is unlikely to cut into the unborn child. The baby is much more
likely to be injured in a crash if the mother is not wearing a seat belt.
Child car restraint law - children need protection too.
Children and babies who are not restrained can be injured when the driver has to
brake hard. An adult’s lap is not safe enough for a child when there is a crash.
Even if the child is small, an adult will not be able to hold onto the child in the event of
a crash.
Western Australia has introduced national child car restraint laws to keep children safe
and protect them in vehicles. Traffic penalties and fines will apply to the driver of the
vehicle if children are not restrained in accordance with child car restraint laws.
Child car restraint laws will affect you if you are carrying passengers under the age of
7 years. Children under 7 years of age must wear a suitable child restraint. Child car
restraint laws also specify where children are permitted to sit in a vehicle.
• A vehicle which has two or more rows of seats, children aged under 4 must
be seated in the rear seats of the vehicle.
• Children 4 to less than 7 years old are not permitted in the front seats of a
vehicle, unless all rear seats are occupied by children less than 7 years of age.
• Children aged 7 years and over can sit in any seating position provided they
are suitably restrained.
0 - 6 months It is mandatory from birth until the
child reaches 6 months to use a
rearward-facing child restraint, and
be seated in the rear seats in the
vehicle at all times.