Veronica Fieldsend, Plunket area car seat manager for Manawatu/Wanganui explains upcoming changes to child car restraints to driver Asilika Turaganirei.
In the back seat is 4-year-old Gabby Titoko. Ms Turaganirei was among the 165 drivers stopped randomly by Whanganui Police, Plunket and road safety promoters this week and given information of upcoming law changes effective from November 1. From that date the mandatory use of child restraints in vehicles will be extended by two years, with all children required to be correctly secured in an approved restraint until their seventh birthday.
Drivers were stopped at checkpoints in Aramoho and Tawhero in a bid to push home that message.
Glenda Leitao, Horizons Regional Council Road Safe co-ordinator, said the response from drivers had been "really good". In a lead up to the change, the NZ Transport Agency had also been sending out promotional information to all schools and kindergartens. Mrs Leitao said the changes were all aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries to children travelling in vehicles.