Ngā tūru haumaru Child restraints
Did you know, tamariki should be in an appropriate child restraints (or booster) until they are 148cm tall? Find out more on how to keep little ones safe.
What's the deal with kids car seats?
In Aotearoa NZ, it is the lawopen_in_new that our tamariki must be in a suitable child restraints (car seat or booster) until their 7th birthday. If one is available they must use it until they are 8 years old.
However, experts recommend that we put our tamariki in a child restraints until they reach 148cm tall. This is because the impact of a seatbelt - designed for an adult - is much more harmful to a child in a collision.
Everyone in a car must wear a seatbelt.
And, one to remind your ākonga, it is also recommended they ride in the back seat until they are 14 years old.
Recommended resources
Wellington City Council has partnered with New Zealand Police and Whānau Āwhina Plunket to check car seats for our tamariki in Pōneke.
Waka Kotahi has a wide range of resources including videos and brochures.
- All resourcesopen_in_new
- Videosopen_in_new on installation with Stacey Morrison (English and te reo Māori)
- Brochuresopen_in_new available in many languages
NZ Police provide road safety teaching resources for all agesopen_in_new, including specific focus areas on child restraints.
Focus area 3: by bus or car -
Focus area 1: Passenger and pedestrian -
AA Insurance has partnered with safety advocates SitTight to promote best practice in child restraintsopen_in_new, including the message "back seat is best" - even for older tamariki.
SafeKids have resources and research on many safety topics including Car Seats.
DJ Jess Rhodes and McDonald's "Make it Click" - 2025 refresh
It's a childhood classic and notorious earworm. And this year there's a new version aimed to remind a new generation to "make it click".
For audio only, visit the Spotify linkopen_in_new.
Caution: may contain product placements. We advise you view this before sharing with your class.
What's next?
Road Safety week 2025
Road Safety week aims to inspire communities to take action on road safety and promote life-saving messages during the Week and beyond.
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