An overview of why child car seats are so important to keep your child safe on the road. This video is also available in te reo Māori. [1] A Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) video.
Child car seats, booster seats and safety belts can prevent injuries and save your child's life when installed and used properly.
It is important you use a car seat that is made for your child's weight and height and carefully follow the instructions to fit it to your vehicle.
Generally, it's best to put your baby in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, or until they are 2 or older. Once they have outgrown this, they can go into a forward-facing one.
It's always safest for car seats to be placed on the back seat. This is because during a crash, a front seat air bag goes off at a high speed and can be dangerous to your child.
The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) website has tips on buying a car seat on its website [2]. Waka Kotahi NZTA's videos talk you through the legal requirements for using car seats in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Watch this Waka Kotahi NZTA video to find out about buying a child car seat.
Watch this Waka Kotahi NZTA video in te reo Māori to find out about buying a child car seat.
Watch this Waka Kotahi NZTA video to find out the best place to install your car seat in your car.
Watch this Waka Kotahi NZTA video in te re Māori to find out the best place to install your car seat in your car.
Watch Waka Kotahi NZTA's 'introduction to fitting' guide video.
Watch Waka Kotahi NZTA's 'introduction to fitting' guide video in te reo Māori.
Car seats in New Zealand typically meet one of these three standards:
Find out more about how to install your child's car seat by following the instructions at the bottom of Waka Kotahi NZTA's guide to installing car seats [2].
The Waka Kotahi NZTA site has a series of short videos with further helpful tips on installing and maintaining your child's car seat.
Videos include:
Waka Kotahi NZTA has a series of short videos answering common questions about car seats.
Videos include:
See the Waka Kotahi NZTA website [37] for a list of qualified car seat technicians across the country.
Tamariki must use a booster seat until they are 148cm tall - for most children, that's somewhere between 10 and 12 years of age.
Use Safekids' 5 step test if you're unsure if your child is ready to move out of the booster seat. If you answer 'no' to any of these questions, your child needs to be in a child restraint or booster seat.
Safekids car seat safety information for babies (from birth to 11 months [38]), 1 to 2-year-olds [39], 3 to 4-year-olds [40], and car safety resources [41].
This page last reviewed 23 September 2022.
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Links
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnP7Ib3AzVU
[2] https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/what-waka-kotahi-is-doing/education-initiatives/child-restraints/buying-and-installing-child-restraints/guide-to-installing-your-child-restraint/
[3] https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/what-waka-kotahi-is-doing/education-initiatives/child-restraints/buying-and-installing-child-restraints/handy-tips-for-installing-child-restraints/
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kia217bzhhE
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkN90pjV4KI
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQRHpSX69s
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbPnN_8v5X0
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTeePzTyFnA
[9] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qI99GEl-o
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZDL27lQgZA
[11] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzksEAsHf4E
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZwH665m4k
[13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBBWmho2LaI
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YAdXB4tAZg
[15] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSu31jIyA6A
[16] http://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/what-waka-kotahi-is-doing/education-initiatives/child-restraints/buying-and-installing-child-restraints/frequently-asked-questions/
[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbOl1Un5ifc
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XQPirV7VpE
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSOiSDdFpSM
[20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPsa0GsGy8s
[21] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2HiuTizcPI
[22] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfAAHGdySmY
[23] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd41D8JIl-o
[24] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmYty-GkcHA
[25] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGe5Bj8aoI4
[26] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7IBqffHfYo
[27] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soBJ9WgPd9o
[28] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEyFeQLLT2I
[29] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWctIb3XK90
[30] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBxjxsK6NyA
[31] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XF1EPFCNB8
[32] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ADjBeaGvEA
[33] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg9vuSjJPUE
[34] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eGgi6owGVM
[35] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLM4eYZpXck
[36] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oxwL3Me7po
[37] https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/vehicle-safety/safety-belts-and-restraints/child-restraints/find-a-child-restraint-technician/
[38] https://starship.org.nz/safekids/car-safety-birth-to-11-months/
[39] https://starship.org.nz/safekids/car-safety-1-2-years/
[40] https://starship.org.nz/safekids/car-safety-3-4-years/
[41] https://starship.org.nz/safekids/resources-car-safety/
[42] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/2448?language=zh-hant
[43] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F2446%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hant