Safe car travel with disability 0-18 years

Car travel for children and teenagers with disability, medical conditions or other needs

Safe and comfortable car travel is important for all children and teenagers.

In Australia, children aged up to at least 7 years must use an Australian standard child car seat that meets Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754. Children 7 years and older should use an Australian standard car seat until they fit a lap-sash adult seatbelt.

Many children aged up to 10-12 years with disability, medical conditions or other needs can travel safely and comfortably in Australian standard car seats.

Some children and teenagers might need modifications to Australian standard car seats. This might include children and teenagers wearing casts or with respiratory conditions.

And some might need special car travel equipment, like special purpose car seats, to stay seated in a secure, well-supported and comfortable position.

The most appropriate car travel equipment for your child will depend on their needs. A health professional with training in safe seating solutions can assess your child’s needs and recommend the right approach.

Standard and modified child car seats: disability, medical conditions or other needs

Australian standard car seats
The Mobility and Accessibility for Children in Australia (MACA) website has a list of Australian standard child car seats that are commonly used by children with disability, medical conditions or other needs. These include car seats with inbuilt harnesses.

Modified Australian standard car seats
In certain circumstances, Australian standard car seats can be modified to meet children’s needs – for example, if your child is wearing a hip spica cast.

Modifying car seats usually involves adding accessories that haven’t been supplied by the manufacturer, like supports for posture, extension straps and buckle covers.

Special purpose child car seats: disability, medical conditions or other needs

Special purpose child car seats are specifically designed for children and teenagers with disability, medical conditions or other needs.

There are various types of special purpose car seats, including rear-facing and forward-facing seats. Special purpose car seats have features that can improve comfort and safety for children and teenagers:

Swivel bases: these make it easier for you to get your child in and out of the vehicle.
Footrests: these support your child’s feet and legs, which helps your child maintain good posture. Footrests can be adjusted according to your child’s size.
Anti-escape features: these help to prevent your child from getting out of their car seat. They might include additional buckles and shoulder strap retainers.
Extra recline and tilt-in-space: these help your child to stay in a secure and comfortable sitting position. Extra recline and tilt-in-space might be built into the car seat or provided as an optional feature. Most special purpose car seats offer more recline than Australian standard car seats.
Extra support for posture: this helps your child stay in a comfortable and healthy sitting position. Extra support for posture includes padding, blocks or inserts to support the sides of the body or head.

You can visit MACA’s national product register to learn more. This register lists special purpose car seats that have been independently safety tested by MACA.

Exemptions for special car travel equipment: disability, medical conditions or other needs

Children and teenagers need exemptions to use special car travel equipment, including:

modified Australian standard child car seats
special purpose car seats
special accessories.

That’s because this equipment doesn’t meet Australian/New Zealand Standards.

In most Australian states and territories, your child will need a medical certificate for an exemption. Your child will need to see a doctor, like a GP, to get this certificate. The certificate will say what car travel equipment your child needs.

In Western Australia, your child will need a medical certificate and an Advice to Parent form for an exemption.

In Queensland, your child will need only an Advice to Parent form.

A trained health professional must complete the Advice to Parent form for you. This form will describe your details, your child’s details, the prescriber’s or health professional’s details, the prescribed special car travel equipment, and information about the equipment’s installation and use.

You’ll need to keep your child’s exemption with you in the car when your child is using the prescribed special car travel equipment.

Your child’s needs will likely change over time, so your health professional will set a review date to reassess your child’s car travel needs, including their exemption.

If you’re not sure what documents your child needs for an exemption, contact your state or territory road authority or a trained health professional.

Professional help: safe car travel with disability, medical conditions or other needs

Health professionals with training in safe seating solutions for children and teenagers with disability often include occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

These health professionals can:

assess your child’s needs
recommend a child car seat or accessories to suit your child’s needs
check that your child is safe and comfortable during car travel
explain and help you understand the road law in your state or territory
help you get an exemption for your child to use special car travel equipment.

They might also be able to:

work with local suppliers to trial products, like special purpose car seats
help you apply for NDIS support to pay for special car travel equipment
give you strategies to manage unsafe behaviour during car travel
help your child move to a transport-approved stroller or wheelchair in a car if needed.

You might already be working with a trained health professional through a hospital or disability service. If you need to find a trained health professional, you can use the MACA health professional lookup, contact Kidsafe in your state or territory, or ask one of your child’s disability professionals for a referral.

Help to install child car seats

Your local car seat installation or fitting service can help to install Australian standard child car seats correctly. Car seat retail stores might also offer services that can help.

Some hospitals have loan programs and can help to install modified Australian standard car seats – for example, for children with hip spica casts.

Disability product specialists can help to install special purpose car seats or special harnesses or vests correctly. Talk to a health professional about getting help from a disability product specialist.

Your child might be able to get support from the NDIS depending on their travel needs. If your child can’t get support from the NDIS, other organisations like Variety, Brainwave Australia or a local Rotary club might be able to help.