Northland parents beware - new child seat rules come into force tomorrow that mean all children will need to be correctly secured in an approved child restraint until at least their seventh birthday.
From tomorrow the mandatory use of child restraints in vehicles will be extended by two years to at least a child's seventh birthday.
The current law says all children aged 5 to 7 to be secured in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle, and this rule will continue to apply for children aged 7. From Friday all children aged 0-6 will need to be correctly secured in an approved child restraint whenever they travel, and children aged 7 will need to be secured in an approved restraint if one is available in the vehicle they are travelling in. Approved child restraints can include baby capsules, car seats and booster seats.
One organisation gearing up for the change is Whangarei Plunket's Car Seat Service, which hires out child restraints to parents.
Service coordinator Lorna Baker said the new rules are all about safety and were in place for a reason. "It's to make sure children are securely seated in vehicles at all times.