VERY dangerous! Can break his neck if you are in an accident.

1) To all the people happy to “cop the fine” for using the Isofix/LUAS(Lower Universal Anchorage System)/Latch system illegally. I don’t think the fine should be you biggest concern as you need to be aware insurance will not pay for any form of coverage if your child is injured or heaven forbid, killed in an accident using a restraint that does not conform to Australian standards. I was told if I did bring the one I used in Canada back & used it the charge likely to result in such an instance would be more than just a “slap on the wrist” fine.

2)It will be a simple fixation system to transition to when it is finally approved. I recently traveled to Canada where they use a tether with the LUAS/Latch/Isofix system and it was so simple once I figured out the installation. The system is simple yet there are still errors (albeit fewer) that can be made when using it. My big concern would be that parents are used to the seat belt fixing method so decide to combine Isofix/LUAS/Latch with it against recommendation and cause undue stress on the restraint increasing the risk of injury due to restraint failure cause by the stress. This will need to be addressed in a major ad campaign so the mistake is not made as it commonly was when the Isofix/LUAS/Latch systems were initially introduced.

NOTE -the Isofix & LUAS/Latch systems are NOT the same but similar. Isofix uses a removable base attachment and LUAS/Latch is fixed directly to the restraint and not removable. Also Latch fitted restraints also require the use of a top tether.

LUAS/Latch/Isofix restraints can also be used in aircraft which are all designed with the required anchorage bars recessed in the seats, resulting in much safer restraint & safety for our children in the air also.

3)We need more rear facing restraint that allow rear facing up to a greater (22kg) weight as in the end, research & testing proves out that his is by far the best protection for our children and they are very comfortable in it.

4) We do have very high (some of the highest in the world) manufacture/safety/stress standards for child restraints here in Australia. But these are undone in part by the rear/forward facing standards/requirements/laws.

5)Even the Isofix/LUAS/Latch systems can still result in traumatic/fatal injury to children forward facing. The big issue should be how long children are required to remain in restraints and forward or rear facing. These two factors affect their safety more than anything else. It should be according to weight/height, not age.

On another note;
Most of the late model(newer)vehicles on Australia’s roads are unable to fit 3 full sized booster/child restraints across the back seat, even when attempted by professionals. I have several friends who have come across this problem even after being informed when the purchased the vehicle that they did comply & would fit 3 restraints correctly. So most new 5 passenger vehicles will not properly support our new restraint laws creating a greater risk to our children and placing a greater burden on families. Unless you by a 7 passenger vehicle if you have 3 children under the size/age for restraint requirements. This is something else that needs to be addressed by our government- Why are they allowing vehicles into the country that cannot meet the requirements to fit multiple child restraints which are being marketed as 5 passenger vehicles suitable for 3 restraints across the rear seat? That or they should be working to find a way to reduce the financial burden on families with more that 2 children so the regulations can be correctly adhered to.

A last note; Australia has some of the highest costing restraints and because of this many people use old/outdated/unsafe ones because of the exorbitant cost of the newer safer models. Maybe our illustrious government should regulate this too for the safety of our children if they require us all to comply with the new laws regarding them. It was cheaper for me to buy a high level restraint in Canada for 3 1/2 months we were traveling there, & I’m a single parent on a low income, than to rent one. Something that would not be possible at our outrageous costs here.

So ISOfix may be great if you have one or two children, but is you have 3 you will have a problem.

Having the isofix system installed would mean that this would no longer be a problem as they would be fixed better to the car, and that perhaps I would be able to get a third seat in, instead of needing to get a seven seater to be able to accomodate three sustralian standard car seats (2x maxi riders and 1x sns meridian).