GENERAL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why do I need to have my car restraint checked? It is essential that your child car restraint is the correct one for your child’s size, correctly installed in the vehicle and properly adjusted and fastened to fit them on every trip, to protect your child from serious injury and death in the event of an accident. Currently in Australia, it is estimated that over 70% of child car restraints are incorrectly fitted or used.

What services does the program include? We will provide you with an appointment time with an accredited and experienced child car restraint fitter to check that your car restraints are installed correctly in your vehicle. They will then make any necessary adjustments/ changes and talk you through these so that you are better equipped to use the restraint for your child going forward.

What qualifications will the fitters working on the day have? All child car restraint fitters working in the program will be required to have the following minimum qualifications:

• A minimum level of months experience fitting/ checking child car restraints.
• Successful completion of the 52778WA Course in Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitting
• Membership of a network which provides auditing, regular updates and has a complaints process.

All fitters will be included in our Find a Fitter listing which are credible, experienced child car restraint fitters across Victoria.

Where will the events be held? The events will be held at local Neighbourhood Houses and other community locations across Victoria – the schedule and locations will be updated regularly and can be found at safeseatssafekids.com.au

How long will it take to have my restraint checked? Bookings will allow for approximately 20 minutes per child car restraint in the vehicle. Depending on arrival times, you may have to wait for a short period of time before being attended to by a fitter.

I have 3 child car restraint in my vehicle – will I need to book 3 appointment slots? Yes, each child car restraint will need to be allocated to a separate slot so it’s important to provide this information when prompted in the booking process.

Who can attend? If you transport children – whether as a parent, grandparent or carer – you are eligible to attend.

Who can’t attend? Everyone with a child car restraint who transports children can attend; however the fitters are not able to sign off legal requirements on the day such as annual checks required for Family Day Care Providers. These will need to be booked separately on a fee-for-service basis as they are not covered as part of this program.  We recommend contacting your local Fitter through our Find a Fitter listing.

What is the cost for having my seat checked or fitted? This is a free service. There is no cost for the child car restraint checks held on specified checking days – these checks are free of charge as part of the State Government of Victoria’s commitment to provide Victorian families with free, expert child car seat fittings and safety checks.  However, please note that there may be a cost if a child restraint is unsuitable for use (e.g. over ten years of age or an overseas restraint) and needs to be replaced.

What happens if my child car restraint is assessed as non compliant or unsafe? There will be options to purchase or a hire a suitable child car restraint on the day if your child car restraint is deemed unsafe for your child. To minimise the chance of this happening, please undertake our ‘safety check’ before attending an event to find out if your child car restraint is suitable.

What if the fitter advises that I need an additional accessory: Our fitters have strict criteria in terms of what is able to be used in what circumstances – it is anticipated that any minor accessories required will be covered through the program e.g. a top tether extension strap.

Do I bring my child with me? If you have a child already using the restraint, yes, we recommend you bring your child with you to help ensure the child car restraint is adjusted to and suitable for their size. If you are expecting a new baby, we recommend that you attempt to install the restraint yourself if practical, before booking an appointment at one of our free checking days. This will enable you to maximise the educational process.

Can I book in to have a new car restraint installed? To get the most out of the educational process involved in the program, we recommend attempting to install the restraint yourself if practical before attending, to get used to the features and instructions. An accredited fitter can then ‘check’ it for you and make any necessary adjustments/changes and talk you through these so that you are better equipped to use it going forward.

What if I need to cancel a booking? This is a free event and places are limited, so if you can no longer attend please cancel your booking prior to the event, using the link located on your confirmation email. Your place will then be available to another family.

What if I want to have my child restraint checked and the next event isn’t in my area for 6 months? If you would like to have your restraint installed or checked and there isn’t an upcoming day near you that you can access, then you can pay for a fitter to undertake this outside of the program.

Kidsafe Victoria’s ‘Find a Fitter’ listing provides you with easy access to details of credible, experienced child restraint fitters across Victoria. These fitters can guide you through the process of fitting and adjusting child restraints to assist you to ensure your child restraints are correctly installed and your children are travelling as safely as possible. To search for a child restraint fitter in your local area, simply enter your suburb or postcode to search: https://www.kidsafevic.com.au/find-a-fitter

What else will be happening on the day? Depending on the location there may be other events available on the day. Check these on the specific venue website or with your local neighbourhood house.

COVID-19

For the wellbeing of our team and all those attending our venues, we ask that you please cancel or reschedule your appointment if you or your child is feeling unwell or experiencing the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19).