Traveling to Australia .. car seats for the children? .. Driving?

[SorrelZG]

Where do I look for this info? When we get to our destination we will need two five-point harness upright child restraints and two booster seats. We may need to hire a van. Do hiring companies also hire out car seats for children? Does somewhere else do this? I don't know where to even begin to look. :confused1: Help!

 

 

Eta: What about foreigners driving? Can one get an international license?

[Laura Corin]

When I travelled to Australia, we used one car seat on board to make our youngest comfortable, and checked the other seat in its original shipping box.

 

Laura

[Arcadia]

"Can I use a child restraint that was purchased overseas?

No. Child restraints purchased overseas do not comply with Australian Standards and they are not compatible with Australian vehicles."

 

Full information here on car seat law for Australia

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/children/childrestraints/childrestraintlaws_faqs.html

http://transport.nt.gov.au/safety/road-safety/for-parents/child-restraints

http://www.sa.gov.au/subject/Transport,+travel+and+motoring/Road+safety/Seatbelts+and+child+restraints/South+Australia's+child+restraint+laws

[KungFuPanda]

"Can I use a child restraint that was purchased overseas?

No. Child restraints purchased overseas do not comply with Australian Standards and they are not compatible with Australian vehicles."

 

Full information here on car seat law for Australia

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/children/childrestraints/childrestraintlaws_faqs.html

http://transport.nt.gov.au/safety/road-safety/for-parents/child-restraints

http://www.sa.gov.au/subject/Transport,+travel+and+motoring/Road+safety/Seatbelts+and+child+restraints/South+Australia's+child+restraint+laws

 

I didn't even know that the Australians made vehicles!

[sewingmama]

Yes you can hire car seats with the cars however most only hire baby capsules or toddler seats. The cost is usually around $5 a day with a limit of $35 -it's free after that.

 

If you need a booster you will probably just have to purchase one. They are cheap and would probably cost the same to hire.

 

Be aware that Australian airlines do not allow car seats on the plane so they will all have to be checked as baggage if you bring them.

 

My sister recently visited from the US and bought her kids seats but they didn't seem that safe in the car. The reason being that Australian seats are anchored differently to the car and so basically hers were just being held in by regular seat belts and not the safety anchor. Our baby capsules are different. We don't have the ones with bases that you click in and out and can put into strollers or shopping carts.

 

Currently all children under 4 must use a five point harness and all kids under 8 must use a booster.

 

My 6yo is still using a booster with a five point harness but I'm a car safety nut.

[sewingmama]

 

 

I didn't even know that the Australians made vehicles!

 

 

All Australian cars (imported or made here) are fitted with specific child safety anchors. Overseas carseats are not designed with these in mind and thus don't attach to the car properly.

 

And yes we do make cars here - in fact our Holden is often bought by the USA to use as police cars.

[SorrelZG]

Thanks for the tips. I'll talk to my mom and either call around or have her call around. Now I need to find out about driving over there ... Eek ... I should have put that in my OP.

[sewingmama]

Thanks for the tips. I'll talk to my mom and either call around or have her call around. Now I need to find out about driving over there ... Eek ... I should have put that in my OP.

 

 

What do you want to know? All you need is an international drivers licence and you are set to go.

 

[Arcadia]

Now I need to find out about driving over there ... Eek ...

 

You may not want to. Driver seat is on the right side. When my US colleague drove in Sydney, he had a hard time with the reverse of side and right hand drive rules.

[SorrelZG]

So if you get an international driver's license, they just let you loose driving on the "wrong" side of the road? I've driven on the left before but don't have my license (and it's been a while) so it would be DH who has no experience driving on the left.

[KungFuPanda]

 

 

All Australian cars (imported or made here) are fitted with specific child safety anchors. Overseas carseats are not designed with these in mind and thus don't attach to the car properly.

 

And yes we do make cars here - in fact our Holden is often bought by the USA to use as police cars.

 

Interesting. It makes perfect sense, it's just something I never thought about. Not being a car person, I'll have to own up to not knowing what a Holden is. Off to google it . . . .

[misty.warden]

Interesting. It makes perfect sense, it's just something I never thought about. Not being a car person, I'll have to own up to not knowing what a Holden is. Off to google it . . . .

 

I thought you were joking about the Australians not making cars (maybe they ride kangaroos? :tongue_smilie: ) Sometimes cars that are the same model, or with very minor differences, are sold under different names in different countries, my Chevy Aveo is sold as the Suzuki Swift in Japan.

[SorrelZG]

 

 

Interesting. It makes perfect sense, it's just something I never thought about. Not being a car person, I'll have to own up to not knowing what a Holden is. Off to google it . . . .

 

No car has ever replaced the Holden Commodore in my heart. If I'd ever gotten my license and a car in Aust., that would have been my car.

[Arcadia]

So if you get an international driver's license, they just let you loose driving on the "wrong" side of the road? I've driven on the left before but don't have my license (and it's been a while) so it would be DH who has no experience driving on the left.

 

 

Yape, that's about it :)

[SorrelZG]

Yape, that's about it :)

 

 

That's really scary. :unsure: :laugh:

[Tammi K]

When we lived in Canberra, everyone always joked that you could tell who the foreigners were because they signaled their turns with the windshield wiper. I've been back in the USA for 9 years and I still sometimes hit the wrong one. Learning to drive on the other side of the street is a challenge for some. :driving:

[EthiopianFood]

When we lived in Canberra, everyone always joked that you could tell who the foreigners were because they signaled their turns with the windshield wiper. I've been back in the USA for 9 years and I still sometimes hit the wrong one. Learning to drive on the other side of the street is a challenge for some. :driving:

 

When I was in India, crossing the street, when vehicles would come, I froze in the middle of the street because I would second guess which way they would drive past me. I figured one person moving around a stationary object was better than two moving objects moving to the same side! :ohmy:

[raceNzanesmom]

I'm not sure about Australia specifically. But most counties allow car seats from your home country when visiting. If you were moving there you'd need to purchase seats made to their standards, but shouldn't need to for a visit. PM me if you need specifics.

 

I'd take a couple Bubble Bums in your luggage for your boosters.

[SorrelZG]

I'm not sure about Australia specifically. But most counties allow car seats from your home country when visiting. If you were moving there you'd need to purchase seats made to their standards, but shouldn't need to for a visit. PM me if you need specifics.

 

I'd take a couple Bubble Bums in your luggage for your boosters.

 

 

What I'm reading about the Australian regulations seems to indicate that they require the boosters that have backs on them.

 

Can any Aussie's confirm or say otherwise? We'll specifically be in Queensland if it matters.

[Melissa in Australia]

I didn't even know that the Australians made vehicles!

 

 

??

We are not as primitive as you might think

[SorrelZG]

 

 

??

We are not as primitive as you might think

 

 

:lol:

[Melissa in Australia]

What I'm reading about the Australian regulations seems to indicate that they require the boosters that have backs on them.

 

Can any Aussie's confirm or say otherwise? We'll specifically be in Queensland if it matters.

 

 

that is correct

[KungFuPanda]

To clarify, I KNEW Australians DROVE cars, I just didn't realize they manufactured their own cars. I couldn't name a single Australian car, but not being a car person this isn't too surprising. No reflection on Australia at all. Just a gap in my automotive education :-) I now know about the Holden, so she CAN be taught.

 

I guess I just pictured y'all driving Hondas and Jeeps and Fords like we do, so I was surprised that the carseats were completely incompatible. (It's not thread jacking if you wrap back around to the original topic ðŸ˜.)

[Rosie_0801]

These are the two most known car hire companies, if that helps:

http://www.budget.com.au/default.aspx

http://www.thrifty.com.au

 

And while you can drive on an international license, it's not hard to book a lesson with a driving school for a confidence boost. They are all over the place, so look in the phone book or on the White Pages website when you arrive; dot com dot au of course. ;)

[nd293]

As far as I know, you do not need an international driver's license, just one valid in your own country. Certainly, that is the case if you migrate here - we could drive for a year on our other licenses, after which we needed to convert to Aussie licenses. Check the website of the car hire company or the state's transport department.

 

We hired a car seat for dd from a car hire company once, but it was definitely not what we would have chosen - very hard and uncomfortable. Try Googling child car seat hire and the city you will be visiting - private companies sometimes hire these out, e.g www.lollypopsbabyhire.com.au

 

Enjoy your travels!

[raceNzanesmom]

Here's info I'm finding.

http://www.britax.com.au/img/Saftey%20centre/QLD_Road%20Safety%20Poster_2013_LR.pdf

http://transport.nt.gov.au/safety/road-safety/for-parents/child-restraints

 

From what I'm reading on car-seat.org from US folks that have traveled there, a US seat used according to Aussie standards is generally allowed. That means a highback booster used here with a lap/shoulder belt would be allowed there, a forward facing harnessed seat used for younger kids would be allowed when used with top tether. However, a rear facing seat used there would have to have the use of a top tether. Currently, only Britax and Diono US seats allow that. From what I'm reading the number one thing is that kids are properly restrained when there visiting. That, of course, doesn't mean you couldn't get the one officers that would make a big deal out of it.

[sewingmama]

 

 

What I'm reading about the Australian regulations seems to indicate that they require the boosters that have backs on them.

 

Can any Aussie's confirm or say otherwise? We'll specifically be in Queensland if it matters.

 

Yes you need backs on them because they have to be anchored to the car from the top but QLD only recently updated their laws so still giving a lot of grace.

 

I was in QLD a couple months ago. It's tough driving there and that's coming from a person who was raised and got her licence there. I haven't been back for 10 years and was amazed at how awful driving there is. Tons of traffic jams even in the middle of the day and forget going to the coast on the weekend. A 20 min drive takes over an hour.

 

That being said ...it will probably be great for you because you won't have to drive faster then 40 KMPH anywhere you go lol.

 

Where abouts will you be?

[SorrelZG]

 

Where abouts will you be?

 

I'll be in Bundaberg. It's where I grew up for the most part and where my mom still resides.

[sewingmama]

Well no problem then ...I don't think they even have roads in Bundaberg let alone traffic. (kidding)

 

 

[JeneralMom]

We had to buy all new carseats when we moved her in June because all cardeats have to have ANZAC safety stickers to be used or you can be fined. Also, you can drive with a US license but you will be charged more for the rental, and some companies won't rent to you at all.

 

Driving takes getting used to but I adapted within days. DH had a much harder time and only drove when I went into hospital to have the baby. He still tends to drift way over to the left. Road rage is not uncommon here (at least in Perth) so you want to be pretty confident. I also would not drive straight from the aeroport unless you don't get jet lag (I don't but it hit DH and kids badly) because it will mess your brain up and you might be dangerous on the road.

[Greenmama2]

Yes you can hire car seats with the cars however most only hire baby capsules or toddler seats. The cost is usually around $5 a day with a limit of $35 -it's free after that.

 

If you need a booster you will probably just have to purchase one. They are cheap and would probably cost the same to hire.

 

Be aware that Australian airlines do not allow car seats on the plane so they will all have to be checked as baggage if you bring them.

 

My sister recently visited from the US and bought her kids seats but they didn't seem that safe in the car. The reason being that Australian seats are anchored differently to the car and so basically hers were just being held in by regular seat belts and not the safety anchor. Our baby capsules are different. We don't have the ones with bases that you click in and out and can put into strollers or shopping carts.

 

Currently all children under 4 must use a five point harness and all kids under 8 must use a booster.

 

My 6yo is still using a booster with a five point harness but I'm a car safety nut.

 

 

What she said. You can hire baby capsules or forward facing seats from any car hire place but you will probably need to buy a booster for an 18kg+ child.

[Greenmama2]

What I'm reading about the Australian regulations seems to indicate that they require the boosters that have backs on them.

 

Can any Aussie's confirm or say otherwise? We'll specifically be in Queensland if it matters.

 

Yes, definitely need boosters with backs & a tether. Those seat only ones are mostly only used as restaurant high chairs now :)

[SorrelZG]

Well no problem then ...I don't think they even have roads in Bundaberg let alone traffic. (kidding)

 

 

With all the flooding mom has mentioned, we might just need to hire a boat.

[SorrelZG]

Oh, meant to say thanks for these links and the info. It's all been a huge help!

[stripe]

 

 

I didn't even know that the Australians made vehicles!

 

They certainly do! And they're darn cute! I know someone who makes them.

[Isabella]

Regarding driving on the wrong side of the road - when we drove in Europe, we just had to keep reminding ourselves that the driver should be in the middle of the road. That should apply wherever you are, in the US, the driver's seat is on the left side, and you drive on the right side of the road, here in Australia, the driver's seat is on the right side of the car, and we drive on the left side of the road. Driver is always closest to the centre of the road.