New child-restraint rules

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 2

New child-restraint rules

PA Wellington Details of proposed regulations that would make it compulsory for many children to travel in approved child restraints and banish others from the front seat of* cars were released yesterday. The regulations, which will come into force on November 1 if approved, include making motorvehicle drivers responsible for ensuring that children under eight years old wear approved child restraints, where fitted. If an approved restraint is not fitted the driver must ensure that the child is “restrained as securely as

practicable in the circumstances using any child restraint or seat belt that is available.” The draft regulations ban children under the age of eight from travelling alongside the driver unless the child is in an approved restraint or there are no back seats. The driver is also exempted from this regulation if all other seats in the vehicle are occupied by children under eight. As well, under the regulations all children over eight years old but under 15 will have to wear seat belts, where fitted. The regulations will not apply to drivers of vehicles

built before 1955. A further exemption from wearing seat belts is provided in the draft regulations. From November 1, drivers who cannot safely travel in reverse while wearing a seat belt will not have to be restrained. However, the chairman of the Statutes Revision Select Committee, Mr D. M. J. Jones, said that the Government had not yet decided on the final form the regulations would take. He said public submissions on the proposals were welcome. The regulations would be made possible by amending the Transport Amendment (No. 4) Bill, he said.