Whilst children in Victoria can legally sit in a regular car seat from the age of 7, it is not the safest option as few 7 year-olds are tall enough to do so safely.
There is a 5-step test to determine if your typically developing child is ready to sit in the car with a regular vehicle seatbelt. This is usually at the age of about 10-12 years and needs to be reviewed in each car the child travels in as cars come in all shapes, sizes & dimensions.
The 5 steps are:
1. Back: Can the child sit all the way back against the vehicle seat back?
2. Knee: Do the child’s knees bend comfortably in front of the front edge of the vehicle seat?
3. Lap belt: Is the lap belt sitting low across the hip bones touching the thighs?
4. Sash belt: Does the sash (shoulder) belt sit across the middle of the shoulder, not on the neck or out near the arm?
5. Stay: Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer is no to any of these questions pop the booster seat back in!
For further information check out MACA