Ballina Shire Council and Transport for NSW are offering 40 free vouchers valued at $50 for local families to get their child restraints checked or installed at Dancer's Car Care. Parents, carers and grandparents can apply for the vouchers online to have their child car seats, restraints, harnesses and booster seats fitted. The vouchers are part of a road safety initiative to improve children's safety in cars.
Apply for a voucher online on the Ballina Shire Council website at ballina.nsw.gov.au/CarSeatVoucher
To be eligible for a voucher, you must be a resident of Ballina Shire and vouchers must be used by the end of April 2022. Vouchers can be used for one vehicle per household. Each voucher entitles the holder to one seat fitting, with a maximum of three seats checked at a time. Any additional parts required (such as extension straps, gated buckles and so on) are not covered by the voucher, and must be paid by the customer.
Once you receive your voucher by email, you can contact Dancer's Car Care (a Transport for NSW Authorised Restraint Fitter) to make an appointment. Appointments are available Monday to Friday, at either 11am or 2pm, from 21 February to 29 April 2022.
"Children are counting on us to make sure they are safe in cars. Many children are killed or injured in car crashes every year. Some of these deaths and injuries could be prevented by using the right kind of child car seats", says Helen Carpenter, Road Safety Officer with Ballina Shire Council.
"Using a correctly fitted and age-appropriate child car seat greatly increases a child's safety during a crash", says Ms Carpenter.
"The free vouchers give parents and carers the opportunity to not only get their child restraint checked and fitted to suit their child, but also to ask questions and get advice about the best restraints for their child", says Ms Carpenter.
Choosing an appropriate child restraint can be difficult, and must take into consideration the age and size of your child.
For more information on keeping children safe in car seats visit roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au and for information choosing the right type of restraint on childcarseats.com.au
