Guest Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Just read about UK car seats not being legal in Australia due to not having tethering. I remember when we were over last year that our son had to go forward facing in a car seat and it was tethered at the top. I hated him forward facing and was so glad to be back in our own car and his own rear facing car seat once we got back to the UK. However, big huge problem for us next year when we move if we have had another baby. We use a rear facing car seat here in the UK which is suitable till a child is 4. We have no desire whatsoever to use a forward facing car seat for any child of ours till they reach 4. The car seat has passed some of the toughest safety tests out there and its sold widely in Scandianvia and elsewhere. And rear facing is the only way I want our kids to travel until they turn 4. I've read a child can be forward facing from 6 months in Australia (a scary thought) but that they approve forward and rear facing between 6 months to 4 years. So now I need to track down suppliers of rear facing car seats. It was hard enough getting a rear facing car seat here a few years back but its catching on so more stockitst. Anyone already in Oz and got their child rear facing car seat till 4? Make, model and stockist info gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I've done a lot of reading and I am horrified at the Australian standards and regulations. I cannot believe that not one single car seat is sold with the intention of keeping a child rear facing past age 1 or 12lbs or so. Our rear facing car seat has tethering to the front seat and a foot prop bar to the floor behind the seat. Plus is fitted with the seatbelt. Its safe. And its good for up to 18kg/4 years old. I refuse point blank to turn any kids of mine forward facing before age 4. I guess my campaign to Britax Australia starts here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8bug79 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Snifter I know the research as I would prefer to travel rear facing myself let alone my children. but I am intrigued how you manage to get your kids to stay rear facing, all 3 of mine have at 9 months started craning their necks to the front and then screamed the whole journey, they only settle again in the car when they are forward facing. I hope you find a seat that works in Australia. It is silly that UK seats dont meet their standards when we have some of the safest seats on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Its never been an issue for us in terms of son being unhappy with being rear facing. He just accepts it and is fine with it. He likes looking out the window and sees loads as it goes past. Sometimes on a longer journey one of us will sit in the back with him if he gets really restless but for the most part he is fine. I think it helps we have the dog in the boot often and he talks to him Also the specialist rear facing seats are designed differently and don't have such huge side rests as normal forward facing 1-4 seats. So he can see round to the driver if he leans his head forward. We used a mirror for a fair while but he broke it and we've never replaced it. I know its not for everyone but sales of rear facing car seats are increasing here in the UK and some major stockists now sell them. I'm gutted there is no rear facing till 4 in Oz. And seriously annoyed. It was one of the big decisions for us and really a no brainer to go rear facing. Lots of people thought we were weird or daft and couldn't see how we could justify spending an extra £100 on a car seat to keep our son facing the 'wrong way'. They were happy to turn their kids round at 9 months and some thought I was being mean keeping son facing the boot. I don't expect everyone to agree with my parenting choices or to want to follow them but its important to me, to us and I plan to stick with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 And I cannot believe Isofix isn't acceptable over there. Its just shocking. I really am going to lobby Britax on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGHJLL Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Is a Brio Zento accepted in Oz? Rear facing til 4 with tethers to front seat and uses seat belt too. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I am trying to find out about the Brio. Daft thing is it fits exactly the same way ours does with a tether to the front seat and the seatbelt. Plus ours has a pole that fits to the floor. Its this daft tethering from the top thing and the lack of manufactuers selling proper rear facing seats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Good news of sorts Isofix is being reviewed. I live in hope! ISOFIX call for safe child seats | carsguide.com.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I really am going to lobby Britax on this one. What's the point in lobbying Britax? They don't set the Australia car seat safety standards.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I realise that I wanted to see if they are planning to make a rear facing 1-4 top tether (which I accept would be hard and probably not feasible or viable for them as top tethering is really limiting to rear facing seats and their tethering system works well already). There is a demand for rear facing till 4 seats in Australia. I've done a lot of reading on it now and so many parents want the choice but because of lack of Isofix and the top tether rule its nigh on impossible. What saddens me is that all the Aussie blurb gives the impression forward facing is safe/acceptable because a harness is being used. It seems to ignore/overlook the damage sustained to a young childs neck in event of a collision. Its main focus is that the child is restrained in the car seat and they remain there. So many car seats are fitted incorrectly also that in the event of an accident the seat does not provide adequate protection. Isofix would ensure that at least parents can have another option and fit their car seats safely every time. And it would also mean that rear facing till 4 can be more mainstream as with Isofis its easily done. As I said, I live in hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 So what happens if you don't get your own way? Presumably you're not intending to break the law.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shusselmann Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We had the same issue when we moved to Sydney a year ago, my youngest was 16 months and would only fit into forward facing. Most people move babies into forward facing by about 12 months due to size limits of rear facing seats. AND I've never used a car as much as I do here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 So what happens if you don't get your own way? Presumably you're not intending to break the law.. As I said, based on the Isofix review call I shall live in hope I am far from alone in hoping that Aus do review and allow Isofix as it means car seats can be fitted much more safely, are safer to travel in and rear facing would then be possible till 4 (as top tethers won't be needed with Isofix). Seems daft that most (newer) cars in Aus can be bought with Isofix points in place but no one is allowed to use them but they are used in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Scandanavia and I would think elsewhere. Its an international standard and I, like many others cannot understand the Aus ruling that Isofix is not an acceptable safety option. I shall also continue researching till we move the best car seats available in Aus that can keep a child safely rear facing to the maximum weight/size for the seat and not turn them round at 6 months or a year. I shall delay as long as possible so long as weight limits allow. Hopefully Isofix will be allowed and by that time we can then review the rear facing options to move to a proper long term RF car seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We had the same issue when we moved to Sydney a year ago, my youngest was 16 months and would only fit into forward facing. Most people move babies into forward facing by about 12 months due to size limits of rear facing seats. AND I've never used a car as much as I do here! That's what bothers me I drive a fair bit over here and feel so much happier driving. Our last visit to Aus I hated having son forward facing in the middle of the back seat. It felt wrong and I dreaded putting him in it. Even getting a child to two before forward facing is a start. But the sizings of Aussie car seats and the turning from 6 months based on if a child can support their head etc bothers me. Its far from safe to be FF so young, even a low speed impact can do serious damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Dont worry, by the time the Australian standards get amended your kids will be driving themselves and you will have a whole lot of other stuff to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I realise I'll have plenty more to worry about later on I'll cover that as it comes up :yes: But I also have my personal choices in how I choose to parent right now and rear facing till older was and is one of them. I don't wish to break laws when in Aus and so will continue to research and follow the Isofix issue with interest to be fully informed as possible. I don't demean, joke or make light about others parenting choices. I take my own seriously and don't make light of them when I am considering the well being of my child. I realise I am sounding like a worry wort to some but its important to me. I don't tell everyone else they should rear face their child, its a personal choice, but it can only be a choice if the option is there in the first place. Right now, that is where my concern lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'm pretty sure Quoll wasn't having a go at you, just saying that things move quite slowly. When we first moved to Australia the rear facing car seats (0 to 9 months) looked very insecure and the baby was restrained with a strap across it's tummy, nothing else! I was grateful that my daughter was a year old and I didn't have to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I realise I'll have plenty more to worry about later on I'll cover that as it comes up :yes: But I also have my personal choices in how I choose to parent right now and rear facing till older was and is one of them. I don't wish to break laws when in Aus and so will continue to research and follow the Isofix issue with interest to be fully informed as possible. I don't demean, joke or make light about others parenting choices. I take my own seriously and don't make light of them when I am considering the well being of my child. I realise I am sounding like a worry wort to some but its important to me. I don't tell everyone else they should rear face their child, its a personal choice, but it can only be a choice if the option is there in the first place. Right now, that is where my concern lies. Sadly, it doesnt look like a choice you are going to be able to make in Australia - much as you may like to be able to. I seriously doubt that they are going to make those drastic changes to regulations in the near enough future as they recently just changed things to bring states more generally into line with each other. Rear facing toddlers is just not something which will have registered on the Australian psyche at all I suspect. I quite understand your logic but if the choice isnt there, you dont have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Thank you. I am still amazed at the lack of choice/options for car seats in Aus. And disappointed. Even the Britax ones don't match what we have here in Europe. The lack of Isofix and a few other things. The next one we were planning on buying here, the Evolva doesn't exisit in any shape of form that I can see on the Aus Britax site. As I said, I live in hope that either the rules are changed sometime in the not too distant future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.