VISITING A CHILD CAR RESTRAINT FITTING STATION

What should you, as a parent or carer, expect from a professional child CAR restraint fitter?

Your appointment with a professional child car restraint fitter will be interactive, so be prepared to learn! It is important that when your appointment is over, you are confident that your child’s restraint is installed correctly and that you are comfortable using it correctly. This will make it easier for you to adjust your child’s seat and straps as they continue to grow.

To ensure that you have the best experience, we have put some tips together below:

• • If you (or your partner) are expecting, it is advised to schedule an appointment approximately 1 month prior to your due date. During busy times, child car restraint fitting stations will require appointments to be booked in advance and if little ones decide to arrive early, it is always best to be prepared!
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• • To get the most out of your appointment, we recommend having a go at installing the restraint yourself before attending to get used to the features, instructions etc. The accredited fitter can then ‘check’ it for you and make any necessary adjustments/ changes and talk you through these so that you are better equipped to use it going forward.
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• • If your child has already been born, bring them with you as this will allow the fitter to adjust (and show you how to adjust) your restraint to fit your child correctly. If possible, have another adult with you who can look after your child for some of the time while you are learning.
• • Bring your child restraint instruction manual along with you as well as your vehicle owner’s manual. Your vehicle owner’s manual will include important information like the location of the anchor points in your car and the child restraint manual will help you identify any concerns you may have with the restraint and its fitting.
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• • If you are unsure about anything, don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask the fitter to go through something in more detail!
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• • Be prepared to learn! Child car restraint fitters are there to help you understand how you can create a safer travel environment every day.
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After your appointment you should be able to answer ‘yes’ to the following questions:

• • Do you feel confident about using your child restraint correctly?
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• • Were all of your questions answered?
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• • Were you given direction as to who you should contact or where you should go for further information or if you have any future questions?
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After your Appointment

Remember that once your child restraint is fitted professionally, you will need to regularly check to ensure that the fit of the restraint is maintained and that the restraint is adjusted to suit your child’s size as they grow. For more information on maintaining your child restraint, please visit:
www.kidsafe.com.au/crguidelines