Children under the age of 7 will be required by law to use a booster seat, under a new law that takes effect from November 1.
The change was announced by Associate Transport Minister Michael Woodhouse on June 28, and will bring New Zealand in line with standards in Australia and Japan.
The change was advocated for by Safekids, and was supported by Plunket.
Sue Campbell, Plunket's national child safety adviser, says the change is good news.
"Without a booster seat, an adult seatbelt sits too high on a child," she says.