Restraining children with disabilities or medical conditions safely

In 2009, 288,300 children (7%) of those aged 0-14 years, were estimated to have a physical disability. Children with such conditions often cannot support their torso or head in an upright seated posture. They often have diverse conditions including seizures and intellectual disability. The Australian Standard (AS/NZS 4370:2013) Restraint of Children with Disabilities, or Medical Conditions in Motor Vehicles recommends that these children be restrained in (AS/NZS 1754:2013) compliant car restraints. Even modified compliant car restraints should be considered before special purpose seats from overseas which are quite expensive and not compliant. Coupled with the recent release of Type G child restraints, and restraints with supportive side-impact protection that meet AS/NZS 1754:2013, Kidsafe Queensland has been extremely successful in seating increasing numbers of children with disabilities in Australian Standard child car restraints with minimal modifications. Lessons learnt in Queensland provide a platform for strengthening the safe restraint of these children in motor vehicles in car restraints that meet one of the highest standards in the World. They also improve awareness and understanding of the ability to seat children with disabilities into compliant child car restraints.

• Record URL:
  http://acrs.org.au/publications/acrs-conference-papers/acrs-database/
• Authors:
  • Teerds, S
  • Cameron, T
• Conference:
  • Australasian Road Safety Conference, 1st, 2015, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Publication Date: 2015-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 8p
• Monograph Title: Taking action together: 1st Australasian Road Safety Conference (ARSC2015), 14-16 October, Gold Coast, Queensland

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Child restraint systems; Children; Manual safety belts; Persons with disabilities; Psychological adaptation; Standardization; Standards
• Uncontrolled Terms: Safe systems (road users)
• Geographic Terms: Australia; Queensland
• ATRI Terms: Adaptation; Australian standard; Child restraint; Disabled person
• ITRD Terms: 3422: Restraint (fixing); 1388: Seat (veh)
• Subject Areas: Society; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01591461
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 26 2016 9:26AM