MidWeek

Taranaki Plunket is concerned that many parents and caregivers are confused about car seat law changes.

From November 1 all children aged up to 7 must use an approved child restraint when travelling in motor vehicles.

Under the present law approved restraints are needed only until the age of 5.

Under the new law children aged between 7 and 8 will also need to use a restraint if one is available in the vehicle.

Car seat service manager Gabrielle Patten said: “The information is there and they need to read it and make sure they understand. If they don’t, they need to contact us.”

The Plunket car seat service hires out car seats and has some for sale. Technicians are available to answer questions and are trained to fit car seats into cars.

Plunket recommends a child stays in a booster seat if the seatbelt sits above the shoulder.

“A lot of children will need to stay in their booster a lot longer than the legal age,” Mrs Patten said.

Associate Transport Minister Michael Woodhouse said children can be particularly vulnerable in crashes. As seat belts are designed for larger bodies it’s important that children are restrained appropriately.

“The changes will improve the safety of children and are designed to reduce injuries and save young lives,” he said.

“Increasing the age from 5 to 7 aligns New Zealand with the rules in Australia and Japan.”

Police road safety supervisor Sergeant George White said that as part of random traffic stops police were already talking to drivers with young children on board to educate them about the law change.

“If a child is not in an approved restraint the driver will be fined $150 per child, the same cost if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt,” he said.

The Baby Factory said their stock of booster seats had gone up extensively to cater for the law change.

Mrs Patten said drivers were responsible to ensure enough car seats were available when transporting other people’s children. “If you are transporting a child less than seven years of age they must be in a restraint. Mums picking up extra children from school must have children in an approved seat,” she said.

Mrs Patten has 30 years of experience fitting car seats and said the Plunket service was in high demand.

“We have noticed a huge increase in advice and information sought along with a steady increase in booster seat sales,” she said.

Plunket’s resources are becoming depleted. They rely heavily on grants to buy seats and run their core service.

“If anybody is looking for a funding opportunity to assist in keeping the children of Taranaki safe, please let us know,” Mrs Patten said.

The Plunket car seat service has technicians available from 9.30am to noon on Tuesday and Friday mornings to check car seats.

“Most car seats have a maximum life of 10 years so this is a good time to check the expiry date,” Mrs Patten said.

The Taranaki Plunket car seat service can be contacted at 769 9076.

This article was published in the North Taranaki Midweek on October 9, 2013.