New Zealand Legislation: Acts

77A Regulations relating to seat belts and child restraints

• (1) Without limiting the general power to make regulations conferred by section 199, regulations may be made under that section regulating and requiring the fitting and use of seat belts and child restraints in motor vehicles, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing provisions, for all or any of the following purposes:

  • (a) requiring the owners or operators of motor vehicles or specified classes or types of motor vehicles to ensure that the vehicles are fitted with approved seat belts or specified types of approved seat belts and specifying the sitting positions in vehicles where such seat belts shall be fitted:

  • (b) exempting owners or operators of specified vehicles or specified classes of vehicles or vehicles used solely for specified purposes from all or any of the requirements of regulations made under paragraph (a):

  • (c) requiring the drivers of motor vehicles or specified classes or types of motor vehicles to ensure that the vehicle is fitted with approved seat belts or approved child restraints in specified circumstances when a child or children are being carried in the vehicle:

  • (d) exempting any driver or class of driver from the requirements of any regulations made under paragraph (c) in all circumstances or in circumstances specified in the regulations:

  • (e) requiring persons of, under, or over a specified age or of or over a specified weight in a vehicle for which a seat belt or child restraint appropriate for that person is provided and available for use to be properly restrained by that seat belt or child restraint while the vehicle is in motion; and imposing duties on drivers of motor vehicles to ensure that children are restrained in accordance with regulations made under this paragraph:

  • (f) exempting any person or class of persons from all or any of the requirements of regulations made under paragraph (e) in all circumstances or in circumstances specified in the regulations.

  (2) Any regulations made under subsection (1) shall not apply to or in respect of any owner of, or driver or other person in, any motor vehicle that was first registered before 1 January 1955.

  Sections 77A and 77B were inserted, as from 1 December 1983, by section 25 Transport Amendment Act (No 3) 1983 (1983 No 35).