In the last five years, over 300 people who died in New Zealand crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
Most of those deaths were in 2016.
The Herald, partnered by the New Zealand Police has launched Belt Up - a four day series about seatbelt safety aiming to raise awareness and improve safety for all Kiwis on our roads.
Police say many of the 93 people who died in crashes last year while not properly restrained, could have survived had they been wearing a seatbelt.
Today we find out who they were.
Our message is simple.
Seatbelts save lives - Belt Up New Zealand.
Andre Trotter had his whole life ahead of him.
But last January he made the deadly decision to drive without a seatbelt and he stood no chance when his car rolled onto its roof near Dunedin Airport.
What haunts his parents most is the life Trotter is missing out on.
Based on the average life expectancy of Kiwi men, Pauline and John Trotter estimated their beloved son has been robbed of at least 55 years.
"Nobody ever wants to bury their children, but some of the decisions they make in life, that's what happens," his father said.
Pauline Trotter said her son's death had "broken" their family and turned his brother Ben's life "upside down".
When the boys were younger she insisted on seatbelts in the car, and they never argued.
"But that particular day Andre chose not to wear one," she said, breaking into sobs.
"No matter how much you try as a parent to educate them to wear their seatbelt, as they get older it becomes a choice... time and time again we try and get this message through to our children - in Andre's case only he will know why he didn't that day."
Trotter was a young man with the ability to light up a room, his parents said.
He was cheeky, positive and had a great sense of humour.
He was a keen sportsman, described by mates as a "lovable rascal" and a "lads' lad".
"It's just such a waste," Pauline Trotter said.
"It has broken our family."
John Trotter said he will always wonder why his son didn't belt up that day.
"At the end of the day, at the age of 25, Andre was old enough to make the decision himself - and he made the wrong one," he said.
"If for the sake of two seconds it takes to put a seatbelt on, he would have gotten the rest of his life.
"He's not the first to make this choice and he won't be the last, unfortunately."
The family often think about what Trotter will miss out on in that 55 years of life he will never have.
A wedding, a marriage, children, grandchildren.
"I was looking forward to all of that," his mother said.
Trotter's parents spoke out about his death in a bid to educate others, and hopefully convince people to take the time to belt up and save their lives.
"There was no excuse for Andre not to be wearing his seatbelt," Pauline Trotter said.
"He was always taught to wear it, it's not like he had parents who didn't care less - in fact, I was paranoid about it."
His father could not fathom why people didn't belt up.
"It takes two seconds," he said.
"I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink can you.
"Just belt up - do you really want to miss out on so much of your life, the rest of your life?"
• Safety belts save lives.
• They support you if you're in a crash or when a vehicle stops suddenly.
• The force on safety belts can be as much as 20 times your weight - this is how hard you'd hit the inside of your vehicle without restraint.
• Wearing a safety belt reduces your chance of death or serious injury in a crash by 40 per cent.
• Whether you sit in the front or the back seat, the risk of serious or fatal injury is virtually the same.
• NZ law requires drivers and passengers in cars and other motor vehicles to wear seat belts and child restraints.
• In the last five years, over 300 people who died in NZ crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
• Many of these people would still be alive today if they were safely wearing their seat belt.
(Source NZTA, MOT, NZ Police)