[Carey]

Our youngest will be 5 when we come out in August. Will we need to bring his 'sit up in ' car seat which the seat belt crosses from the shoulder or will a booster seat ie with no back, be adequate? What is required in NZ and where do I check?

[jubjub]

http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/
http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/07.html

Not that far myself yet.... but I am pretty sure they still should be in something..

[Mels]

Have seen this on previous thread Carey. There was a link to a government website with recommendation too I'll have a quick look.

Mels

[Mels]

Think you beat me to it Sal :)

Mels

[nippa&pippa]

Both seat with back attachment or without back attachment is fine, our son is nearly 5 and we got both of them (my OH have spare one, one without back just in case of emergency)
Plunkets like to have child at that ages to have that clip in the place that attach to seat and hold the normal car seat belt in the place over the shoulder.

[Nick88]

My 6 yr old still uses a normal booster seat, and we see lots of them when collecting the kids from school. That design is fine.

[dharder]

Technically, you don't need anything for a 5 year old, the law is quite a bit less rigorous than the in the UK.

We have booster seats with back, like we had in the UK, and our younger ones, 4, have boosters without backs when they go in someone else's car (easier to drag around).

Daniela

[M-Squared]

I hate that the rules seem, to me, very lax. We moved here from the US and in our state, kids have to be in booster seats until they're 9, and can't sit in the front until they're 11 or 12.

Here, my daughter was once dropped off by friends with whom she'd spent the evening, and I was horrified to see she was sitting in the front seat!!! OK, she had her seat belt on, but IMNSHO it's just not safe at all. Booster seats help with getting the seat belt in the right position so it doesn't cut their neck if in an accident, but personally I'm not going to let my daughter in the front seat until she's at least in double digits.

OK I'll get off my soapbox now... ;)

[nippa&pippa]

I hate that the rules seem, to me, very lax. We moved here from the US and in our state, kids have to be in booster seats until they're 9, and can't sit in the front until they're 11 or 12.

Here, my daughter was once dropped off by friends with whom she'd spent the evening, and I was horrified to see she was sitting in the front seat!!! OK, she had her seat belt on, but IMNSHO it's just not safe at all. Booster seats help with getting the seat belt in the right position so it doesn't cut their neck if in an accident, but personally I'm not going to let my daughter in the front seat until she's at least in double digits.

OK I'll get off my soapbox now... ;)

Don't worry, agree with you there, I am very strict about my kids in the car seats. I HATE it (make me clingy) to see children not strapped in at all, no car seat, no seat belt and where are the police to stop them???!!
My children will be in the back seat in the car seat till 9 or over depend on how tall they will be....
I have refused let a girl guide who is under 12 years old sit in the front because of air bag when I was in UK as guide leader.

[Familyofmonkeys]

I hate that the rules seem, to me, very lax. We moved here from the US and in our state, kids have to be in booster seats until they're 9, and can't sit in the front until they're 11 or 12.

Here, my daughter was once dropped off by friends with whom she'd spent the evening, and I was horrified to see she was sitting in the front seat!!! OK, she had her seat belt on, but IMNSHO it's just not safe at all. Booster seats help with getting the seat belt in the right position so it doesn't cut their neck if in an accident, but personally I'm not going to let my daughter in the front seat until she's at least in double digits.

OK I'll get off my soapbox now... ;)

Agree too :yes
Very simply...our kids will not be allowed to go in someone else car without their own car seat or a suitable alternative....and after checking other people know how to fit their seats properly too (i.e. seat belt in locked position etc). Daughter is a tall 5 year old and we still insist she has high backed booster seat....in fact you can get 5 point harness seats for children her age, but we haven't got one as they weren't so many availble when we needed to get her bigger seat....if I was buying one now, that is what I would get as they are safer. Most of the 3 year olds in sons kindy have booster seat, but at 3 years old we consider that FAR too young....he still safely strapped in with 5 point harness.

[peebles16]

I hate that the rules seem, to me, very lax. We moved here from the US and in our state, kids have to be in booster seats until they're 9, and can't sit in the front until they're 11 or 12.

Here, my daughter was once dropped off by friends with whom she'd spent the evening, and I was horrified to see she was sitting in the front seat!!! OK, she had her seat belt on, but IMNSHO it's just not safe at all. Booster seats help with getting the seat belt in the right position so it doesn't cut their neck if in an accident, but personally I'm not going to let my daughter in the front seat until she's at least in double digits.

OK I'll get off my soapbox now... ;)

Yep M-squared totally agree too :D Got some very strange looks when the kids turn up for playdates/rugby etc with car-seats in tow and our kids are nearly 7 and 4 and big boys with it. I think it's just what you are used to to keep them as safe as possible :yes And they'll be in them for a helluva a lot longer than the legislation states here in NZ

Karenx