In Western Australia the age above which motor car occupants are required to use an adult safety belt, or other suitable restraint, if one is available, has been lowered from 5 years to 1 year. The driver is responsible for ensuring that child passengers use available restraints. The report details a safety campaign carried out after the change intended to increase restraint usage. Observations of restraint usage by children were made outside four metropolitan shopping centres prior to the change, 2 weeks after and again 9 months after. The proportion of 1 - 4 year old children using a restraint was found to have increased to 73% following the change in the law. This usage was found to have dropped to 69% when measured some 9 months later.
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