Child restraints law from next week

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 529, 29 March 1994, Page 12

Child restraints law from next week

From 1 April 1994 new regulations take effect making it compulsory for drivers to secure child passengers under two in approved child restraints. Until now, a child restraint has only had to be used when it is available. From 1 April 1995 the compulsory regulations will apply to all children under fi ve. The change is designed to help protect the 20 per cent of pre-schoolers who currently travel unrestrained in private vehicles. Director of Land Transport Safety Alan Wilcox said that over the past three years 36 vehicle passengers under five have died in crashes. Of these, 1 2 would have survived if they had been placed in child restraints that were available

in the vehicles at the time. "A lot has been achieved with education but now it's time to close that 20 per cent gap. As a first step, from 1 April this year all children under the age of two will have to be secured in a proper child restraint. "This will be extended to apply to all children under the age of five years on 1 April 1995". Surveys carried out by the Land Transport Safety Authority have shown that the use of child restraints decreases markedly with increasing age, with five-year-olds only half as likely to be in a proper child restraint as under-two yearolds. "Yet drivers are far more likely to strap children into a proper restraint than an

ordinary seatbelt," said Mr Wilcox. "The wearing rate goes down from 94 per cent when a child restraint is available, to under 60 per cent when there is only a seatbelt available." Mr Wilcox said that there are also marked regional variations in the use of child restraints with the result that higher numbers of children are at risk in some areas. "I'm aware that cost is a factor, but parents can hire seats from the New Zealand Plunket Society and some retailers for a very reasonable sum. "It's an unfortunate fact that drivers are less likely to restrain child passengers who are not their own children. "It will now be the re-

sponsibility of the driver to make sure child passengers under two years of age are properly restrained. If they don' t, they can be fined $7 5 . "However, it is much more likely that the Police will waive the fine providing they can provide proof that they have hired or brought a child restraint."

The public will be given details about the new law through an information campaign. Advice about the correct types of restraints to use for different age groups is available from the Royal NZ Plunket Society, the Land Transport Safety Authority and major retailers.