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Keeping young children safe in your car rental
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Exploring the vast and scenic expanses of Australia or diverse beauty of New Zealand with a rental car is a fantastic holiday idea for the whole family.
To make the experience enjoyable for everyone, you'll want to make safety a top priority and you'll most likely know the basics of safe long-distance car travel.
Taking regular breaks, switching drivers regularly and avoiding late night travel are good habits to keep in mind. Night life in Australia in particular has a habit of gravitating towards the light and relative warmth of the road.
However, did you know that there are specific guidelines for the seats your young children must be in when travelling on Aussie and Kiwi roads?
In Australia since 2011 there have been uniform child restraint requirements across all states. Children under the age of 7 must be secured in Booster or designated child seats.
From November 1 this year, new legislation in New Zealand will mean that children up to the age of seven must be in a proper car restraint - the seat belt is no longer enough on its own.
The seat must specifically match the height and weight of your child, so it's crucial to obtain the right product.
There are some other points to remember whenever you are travelling with young children in the car to keep them safe and sound.
For example, Plunket, a leading provider of Child Care services in NZ, says that you should never put your infant's seat in the front if there is an airbag - it can be extremely dangerous if activated in such close proximity to your child.
Making use of the child safety locks on car doors is also a good idea, if your car rental comes with them.
All the major rental providers in both Australia and NZ offer booster seats for infants and children of all ages, sizes and weights as optional extras with your car hire, so your kids will be safely covered even if you forget to pack your own!
As there can be limited numbers of booster seats held in rental branches make sure you include them when making your Australia car hire booking and don't risk leaving it to the last moment when you pick up your car.
