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Home>Council Services>Roads, Drains and Footpaths>New Rules. Safer Roads.
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New rules when driving kids
|  From 9 November 2009, a number of Victoria's road safety rules will be changing. These changes will help improve road safety and make road rules more consistent across Australia.
The changes will affect the use of child restraints, mobile phones and seatbelts. Other changes refer to the centre dividing line, parking, motorcyclists, cyclists, driving with trams, scooters, skateboards and roller blades, and other rules for drivers about intersections and blocking driveways.
The new road rules have been developed to help improve road safety for all Victorian road users.
(Taken from Victoria Online)
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| Child restraints | | All children under seven years of age must wear a child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a car for improved safety. The type of restraint will depend on the age of the child.
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| Mobile phones | | Using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited except if:
- The driver is making or receiving a phone call on a hands free unit; all other functions (including video calls, texting and emailing) are prohibited; or
- The phone is secured in a commercially designed holder fixed to the vehicle, or it can be operated by the driver without touching any part of the body of the phone.
In addition, holding the phone (whether or not engaged in a phone call) is prohibited. Holding the phone includes resting it on the driver's lap.
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| Seatbelts | | Changes are being made to make sure drivers and passengers are wearing seatbelts, and in the case of young children, child restraints.
Drivers will be responsible for ensuring each passenger is wearing a seatbelt or an approved child restraint. Should a passenger who is 16 years or over be travelling in a vehicle without a seatbelt, the passenger and the driver can now be penalised.
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| U-turns | | The rules about driving over the centre dividing line of a road have also changed. Drivers will no longer be able to U-turn or overtake across a single continuous centre dividing line. Drivers need to remember that they can only cross a single continuous centre dividing line if they are entering or leaving the road or to avoid an obstruction.
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| New rules when driving kids | | Starting 9 November 2009, children under seven years of age must wear a child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a car for improved safety.
The type of restraint will depend on the age of the child as follows:
Children aged under six months must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear facing child restraint
Children aged between six months and under four years must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, rear facing child restraint OR a forward facing child restraint with an in-built harness
Children aged between four years and under seven must wear an approved, properly fastened and adjusted, forward facing child restraint with an in-built harness OR an approved booster seat which is properly positioned and fastened.
There are also new laws for where children can sit in vehicles. If a car has two or more rows of seats, then children under four years must not travel in the front seat. If all seats, other than the front seats, are being used by children under seven years, children aged between four and six years (inclusive) may travel in the front seat, provided they use an approved restraint or booster seat.
Parents and carers are encouraged to start preparing for these changes now so they are ready for when the new rules come into effect on 9 November 2009.
Find out more about the new rules for using child restraints and booster seats by visiting www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
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