Child Car Seats
Child Car Seats
Keep your child safe in the car. Make sure your baby is in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 2 years old. Keep your child in a booster seat until they are 148cm tall - for most children, that's somewhere between 10 and 12 years of age.
Key points to remember about car seats
- properly using a car seat is one of the most important things you can do to keep your baby or child safe
- New Zealand law says all children in vehicles must be correctly secured in an approved car seat (restraint) until their 7th birthday
- to be safest, children need to be in booster seats until they are 148cm tall - this is usually when they are somewhere between 10 and 12 years old
- keep your baby in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 2 years old
All of NZTA's car seat videos are also available in te reo Māori.
What should I look for when buying a car seat?
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) website has tips on buying a car seat at their website. Their videos talk you through the legal requirements for using car seats in New Zealand.
Where should I put the car seat in my car?
Watch this NZTA video to find out the best place to install your car seat in your car.
How do I install my child's car seat?
Watch NZTA's introduction to fitting guide video, then answer the questions at the bottom of the page, and the site will point you to a video showing you how to install your type of car seat.
Where can I find more tips on installing car seats?
The NZTA site has a series of short videos with further helpful tips on installing and maintaining your child's car seat.
What if I have more questions about my child's car seat?
Watch these short NZTA videos for answers to frequently asked questions about car seats.
How can I find a car seat technician in my area?
See the NZTA website for a list of qualified car seat technicians across the country.
This page last reviewed 06 August 2019.
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