October e-news
Welcome to the October edition of Kidsafe Victoria’s e-news. This month we have some helmet safety tips as well as some hints on how to decide when to move your child out of their booster seat. We also have some exciting news about National Kidsafe Day – hint: it involves the movie Ice Age!
Moving into an adult seatbelt
Do you think your child is ready for an adult seat belt? Chances are that they are itching to get out of their booster and into an adult seat! Before they do, it’s important to know whether or not they are ready. Moving children out of their booster seat too early can increase their risk of receiving a serious injury in a collision.
While children can legally sit in an adult seat belt from the age of 7, they should continue to use a booster seat as long as possible, until they can fit properly into an adult seat belt. A good adult seat belt fit is generally not achieved before children are approximately 145cm tall, or 11-12 years of age.
Kidsafe has a simple ’5 Step Test’ that can help you determine if your child is ready to move out of their booster.
If you answer yes to the following 5 questions, your child is ready for an adult seat belt:
- Can the child sit with their back against the vehicle seat back?
- Do the child’s knees bend in front of the edge of the seat?
- Does the sash (shoulder) belt sit across the middle of the shoulder, not on the neck or out near the arm?
- Is the lap belt sitting low across the hips touching the thighs?
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you answered ‘no’ to one or more of these questions, the child will need to remain in their booster. For more information on child restraint safety, please visit crguidelines
National Kidsafe Day
On Tuesday the 25th October, we celebrated National Kidsafe Day with the help of Scrat and the Ice Age Herd.
We held special viewings of Ice Age 5: Collision Course at Harpley in Werribee and at Monash Hospital. A big thank you to Lendlease, Monash Children’s Hospital and the Starlight Foundation for making these events possible.
On National Kidsafe Day we also presented a Playspace Design Award to the Victorian recipients of the Category B, $500k-$1M award, Playce and Monash City Council, for their Valley Reserve SPARC playspace!
The adventure playspace, which is located in Mount Waverley (Valley Reserve, 80 Waimarie Drive, Mount Waverley for those looking to go and check it out!), was chosen by the judges for being respectful to the natural environment and encouraging children to learn through interacting with flora and fauna. It features rope climbing courses, a tree house and flying foxes. There is a mix of traditional play elements (swings, slides) and ropes, logs and other structures for balance, climbing and fitness.
For more information on the winners of the Kidsafe National Playspace Design Awards, please visit Kidsafe National Playspace Design Awards.
With support from 20th Century Fox, Kidsafe and Ice Age have also developed some exciting road safety resources featuring Scrat and the herd! Kids will love the activity sheets and parents and educators can use the posters and information sheets to create cute but interesting newsletters or social media posts. To download the resources, please click here.
Use your head – don’t lose it!
It’s term four, the weather is heating up and there are more opportunities to get outdoors and explore! Riding to school with your kids can be a great way of keeping active, but there are some important helmet safety rules to remember!
Helmets need to be worn at all times when on any wheeled device. This includes bikes, scooters, skateboards and rollerblades! Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a serious head injury by up to 70%, but only if the helmet is correct size for the child. Before you set out on a ride with your child, check out our top three tips for making sure your child is as safe as possible:
- Measure the child’s head before purchasing helmet in order to select the correct size.
- The helmet should fit firmly on the head with the chinstrap securely fastened.
- Do the push test! If the helmet can be pushed back and forward then it is too big and it won’t protect the head in a fall.
For a comprehensive guide on choosing a helmet for your child, please click here.
Product Recalls
Zoggs Australia — Zoggs Bobin Swim Jacket, Zoggs Swim Jacket
The Bobin swim jacket does not have the required labelling and should be returned to Zoggs for a replacement. Details for returning the jacket can be found here.
Groupon Australia Pty Ltd — Animal Themed Baby Bath Robe with Hood
The bath robes do not have the required fire danger label should be returned to Groupon Australia for a full refund. Details for returning the products can be found here.
