Earn on your own schedule

NSW Seat Belt Laws

24January,2020 / Australia

Know the laws around seat belts and child restraints to help keep our communities safe.

NSW Seat Belt Laws

Under NSW law, the driver and the passengers of ridesharing vehicles and taxis must wear seat belts. Failure to do so may result in fines and demerit points for the driver, as well as fines for the passengers.

Drivers of ridesharing vehicles and taxis are also responsible for passengers under the age of 16 to be properly secured in seat belts or approved child car seats (see below).

Everyone wants to get from A to B safely, so please make sure that you follow the local law and buckle up!

NSW Child Restraint Laws

Under the NSW Road Rules, any child under 7 years old transported in ridesharing vehicles is required to be secured in the correct child restraint. Different rules apply to taxis.
By age, the requirements are:

Age 0 – 6 months: Child must be secured in an approved rearward facing child restraint.
Age 6 months – 4 years: Child must be secured in either a rear or forward facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness.
Age 4 – 7 years: Child must be secured in a forward facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat.

In cars with multiple rows of seats, such as front seats and back seats like with most vehicles on the Uber platform, children under 7 years old should not be in the front seats.

What rules apply for Uber Taxi partners?
All Uber Taxi partners are accredited NSW taxi drivers and their vehicles are registered NSW taxis. The child seat laws for NSW taxis are slightly different than private vehicles and hire cars. In NSW taxis, the age requirements are:

Age: 0 - 6 months: Child must be secured in an approved rearward facing restraint.
Age 6 - 12 months: Child must be secured in an approved rearward or forward facing restraint. Children older than 12 months travelling in a NSW taxi are not required to have a child restraint. Learn more.
Am I expected to have a child seat in my car?
No, unless you are part of a specific child-seat product like uberFAMILY you are not expected to have a child seat in your car. If you do have access to a child seat and would like to have it available to your riders, store it in the boot of the car so you can still accommodate a full car of adult riders and can access the child seat if/when needed.
Does a child seat need to be professionally installed?
In NSW, all child seats must be properly fastened, properly adjusted and meet the applicable Australian Standard. It does not have to be professionally installed, however it is your responsibility that the child seat meets these requirements. If you would like help fitting or adjusting your child seat, you can visit an authorised child restraint fitting station.
What do I do if a rider refuses to wear a seat belt or has a child under the age of 7?
Under Uber’s Community Guidelines, all riders and driver-partners are expected to follow relevant road rules - such as wearing seat belts. As the driver of the vehicle, it is your responsibility to make sure that all passengers are wearing seat belts.

If a rider will not wear a seat belt, we recommend reminding them that it is a legal requirement and that you cannot drive until their seat belt is securely buckled. If they still refuse to wear a seatbelt, we recommend you cancel the trip and let Uber know what happened.

Similarly, if the rider is travelling with a child under the age of 7 and neither you nor the rider have the appropriate child restraint, we recommend you cancel the trip and let Uber know what happened. You could also recommend the rider try uberTAXI, as laws for NSW taxis and child restraints only apply to children 0 - 12 months.