Safer Journeys: Boosters Take a Priority Seat!

Following strong support from various organisations and community groups, the Ministry of Transport announced that it will make booster seats a priority action item in its new ten year road safety strategy, Safer Journeys. As stated in the strategy, the Ministry’s aim is to increase the level of restraint use by achieving a correct use and fitting rate of 90% for child restraints, and make the use of booster seats the norm for children aged 5 to 10.

NEW: Safer Journeys Action Plan 2011-2012

The Ministry of Transport released in May 2011 the Safer Journeys Action Plan for 2011–2012, which outlines the actions that we need to advance over the next 2 years to help us achieve Safer Journeys' objectives This plan. This is intended to help stakeholders and the public to take their own actions to improve the safety of our roads.

According to the Action Plan, it will consider regulatory interventions and education to improve restraint use. To download the 2-year action plan, click here.

What you can do: Support a booster seat regulation (Letter Template, MS word)

We now have an opportunity to bring our child restraint laws in line with international best practise. Show your support for legislation to increase the use of booster seats in New Zealand among children aged 5-10 years (under 148cm) by writing a letter to the Minister of Transport. Download a letter template you can use here.

For more information:

NEW: Safer Journeys: New Zealand's Road safety Strategy 2010-2020 (click here). Safer Journeys is a strategy to guide improvements in road safety over the period 2010–2020. The long-term goal for road safety in New Zealand is set out in its vision: "A safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury."

Safekids Safer Journeys Submission Template on Child Car Restraints. This submission served as a guide to answering the question "Do you support aligning our requirements for child restraints with international best practice?" in the Ministry of Transport's discussion document released in 2009.

Safekids' full submission on Safer Journeys. Safekids New Zealand is also submitting comments on child restraints, school bus safety, child pedestrian and safer cycling

Agreeing that we need change will be the first step. We know that there is more work to identify what rules will best suit the unique conditions within New Zealand. We also know good education is required to get the best results, and making child car seats easily available is also very important.

This page was last updated June 23, 2011.