Seatbelt Buckle Guards

In reply to the Hon. K.L. VINCENT (5 July 2017).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): The Minister for Education and Child Development has provided the following advice:

1. In South Australia, all children under 16 years of age must be restrained in a suitable approved restraint that is properly adjusted and fastened.

In South Australia, it is illegal to use child restraints which do not comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AU/NZS) 1754 Child Restraint Systems for use in motor vehicles.

The use of restrictive devices such as a hard plastic buckle guard to cover the seatbelt buckle is illegal, as they do not comply with the AU/NZS 1754 standard.

2. The minister is aware of the policy and operating practice of the DECD transport assistance program. The mode of transport assistance may be financial (car allowance/passenger transport grant) or direct assistance (taxi/bus/access). To access direct assistance a student must be safe to travel with other students and without adult supervision. If the student is unable to travel safely, the mode of support will be financial assistance.

3. If an eligible student is not safe to travel with other students and without adult supervision, the transport assistance offered will be financial. A car allowance is paid based on the distance between home and school for four trips per day (home to school and return to home for morning is two trips). In the 2016-17 state budget, the state government invested $13,207,000 in transport concessions for students and children.

Unlike some jurisdictions, which only provide partial concessions for transport assistance, South Australia provides a full financial subsidy for eligible students to access transport assistance.

4. The minister is aware that SA Health is one of five major sponsors of Kidsafe SA. The device sold by Kidsafe SA is a 'Hurphy Durphy' seatbelt buckle guard made from neoprene and plastic. This is the only device permitted by the DECD transport assistance program when used as per manufacturer’s instructions:

'This product is designed as a protective device and is to be used only when a passenger car seat belt is anchoring a capsule or infant seat. Do not use when seat belt is not being used to anchor capsule or infant seat. Only to be used on a booster seat when the seat has separate harness and buckle.'

5. The 'Hurphy Durphy' is not a restrictive device when used appropriately according to manufacturer’s instructions. It may be used when a student is secured by the five or six point harness within their car seat/booster restraint which is secured by the lap sash seatbelt.