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NRMA and Kidsafe NSW have released alarming new data about nine child restraints which were recently tested for safety.

All restraints tested comply with the Australian Standard, but there’s a big difference in the quality of protection, with one scoring less than two stars in that category, shares 9news.

NRMA’s Road Safety Expert, Dimitra Vlahomitros, said choosing the correct child seat was a crucially important decision to make.

“A car seat is one of the first and last pieces of baby equipment a parent will purchase that will be used every day for several years, and can be one of the most important,” Ms Vlahomitros said.

Surprisingly the results found that it wasn’t the most expensive restraints on the market which scored the best in both protection and ease of use.

“You can actually score a bargain and score a safe seat by looking around,” Ms Vlahomitros said.

“Safety doesn’t come at a price and these results show us that the most expensive seat isn’t often the safest.”

The results for each restraint – some come in models including a booster, forward or rear facing – are something every parent needs to be aware of.

See the results here.

car safety

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  • Oh, I bought the most expensive thinking that it would be the safest.

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  • Thanks for the information

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  • So important that our kids are safe in their car seats. Thanks for the information.

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  • Thats scary to know. Of course you want your child to be safe and secure in the car in case of anything bad happening.

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  • Thanks for the info. I would have thought that all seats sold in Australia were of excellent quality given our stringent car safety laws for children.

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  • I personally chose ERF seats and work to the markers. I have seen so many people posting photos on FB where their child is forward facing but they don’t even reach the minimum height marker. No point having the safest seat if you refuse to use it properly.

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  • Definitely need to have a compulsory star rating for car seats so it’s easier to compare products.

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  • Mine’s not there either. Good to see this testing done, I attended an info day at Baby Bunting & it was difficult to decide when all the reps were there lauding their particular product.

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  • I think this sort of information needs to be available when in the car seat section at shops and online shops when choosing – so many options are available it can get a little crazy and trying to match up which does what etc – definitely an investment for a long time so you want the best for your kids

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  • Pleased that testing occurs on such important safety and protection products.

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  • Good that they get tested. Concerning how many fail the test.

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  • Hmm the one i have wasnt tested.

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  • I don’t know of one child who has sufficient leg room in a rearward facing seat at 4 y.o.
    Britax has been recommended by some Police Officers as being one of the safest.
    I know one who attended a fatal accident – the car hardly had an undamaged panel – the parents in the front unfortunately were deceased. The baby in her babyseat had no injuries at all even though the door panels next to her were crushed. In fact she was asleep when the Police arrived lifted her out of the car – still in her babyseat because the could smell leaking fuel. Hospital xrays and other tests found no injuries at all —not even any scratches.

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  • I’m glad someone is putting these car restraints to the test.

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  • Buying the right car seat for our children, is surely one of the most important choices we’ll ever make. So better gather all the possible information and go for the safest choice.

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