This post was written as part of the NZ Car Seat Safety National Communications Initiative. A version of the content below was provided to all participants for the July 2020 topic. Why must a car seat installation be secure? Having a car seat installed securely is vital to allow the child … [Read more...] about Is your child’s car seat installed securely?
NZ Car Seat Law
When is it OK for a child to start using a booster seat?
There is no absolute answer to when you should move your child from a harnessed child restraint into a booster seat. However, there are a few key things that you should consider before deciding to do so. What is a "booster seat"? First, let me clarify that when we talk about a “booster”, … [Read more...] about When is it OK for a child to start using a booster seat?
Why is a rear-facing car seat safer than forward-facing?
In a crash, a rear-facing car seat provides vital support to a child's head, neck and spine. It's that simple. Let's expand on this to understand it further. Most Common Crash Point Working with statistics, we know that the majority of crashes take place at the front of the vehicle. … [Read more...] about Why is a rear-facing car seat safer than forward-facing?
NZ Child Restraint Legislation – Part 7 of Land Transport Road User Rule
The foundation of New Zealand car seat law is that any child up until their 7th birthday must be in an appropriate child restraint. There are some additional clauses that expand on this and some exceptions to the law which are set out as NZ child restraint legislation in the Transport Act 1998 and … [Read more...] about NZ Child Restraint Legislation – Part 7 of Land Transport Road User Rule
ISOFIX or LATCH – Understanding Lower Anchors for Installing Child Restraints
When installing a child restraint, there are two methods available for installation. You can install using either the vehicle seat belt or a system using lower anchor bars in the vehicle. There are two names for this system in New Zealand, ISOFIX or LATCH. The name used will depend … [Read more...] about ISOFIX or LATCH – Understanding Lower Anchors for Installing Child Restraints
Car Seat Expiry Dates
Child restraints expire, they cannot be used forever. In this article, we'll help you understand the importance of car seat expiry dates and why they exist. If you have an expired seat and are not sure how to dispose of it, there is an organisation in New Zealand, called SeatSmart, who do this … [Read more...] about Car Seat Expiry Dates