Mandatory standard for child restraint systems for motor vehicles
On 1 June 2007, changes to the Trade Practices Act mandatory standard on child restraint systems for motor vehicles came into force.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer has declared the 1995, 2000 and 2004 versions of the Australian standard for motor vehicle child restraints (AS 1754), as varied, to be consumer product safety standards for the purposes of s. 65C of the Trade Practices Act. Suppliers have the option of which version of the standard to comply with, as the purpose of each version of these safety standards is to ensure that child restraints supplied on the Australian market have key safety features that reduce the associated risks of injury to or death of a child while travelling in a motor vehicle.
References to three versions of of the Australian standard were necessary because of the number of child restraint hire schemes operating in Australia and that these restraints generally have an operating life of around 10 years.
The new mandatory standards and their explanatory statement can be found on the federal Register of Legislative Instruments (registration identification number F2007L01537).
Consumer Publications
In June, the ACCC released a new consumer fact sheet, Consumer protection and the Trade Practices Act. The fact sheet provides consumers with information on how businesses should act when selling goods and services. Under the Trade Practices Act 1974, consumers have a right to accurate and truthful information about their purchases from businesses. The fact sheet will assist consumers in recognising unlawful selling practices.
