Seatbelt sharing

The idea of sharing seat belts seems fairly common in NZ though it sounds dangerous to me, unless perhaps the two sharing are of similar size. Anyway I've tried to look up the laws surrounding seat belt use in NZ and it seems that there's nothing to say that seat belts must be one per person; just that everyone should have one around them. Thoughts or knowledge to help with this?

I've never heard of it or seen anyone doing it. Doesn't seem like it would be legal to me, surely it would mean you were overloading the car with too many passengers which in itself would be an offence wouldn't it?

I remember doing that too, my grandmother sitting me on her knee then putting a seatbelt around us both then Mum going absolutely mental when she found out. I've definitely not seen it done recently & if I did I wouldn't hesitate in telling them that an ex-fireman I know had to attend a fatal accident once where there'd been seatbelt sharing & he described it as "a cheesewire going through a tomato". The law says you must be adequately restrained, I'd imagine it comes in under that.

A quick search found me THIS.
Its Australian so the law comment isn't relevant here but that is a pretty good answer to the risk you put a child at doing it.

Edited by caraMel

I remember people doing this when i was a kid. We never did

Arhhhh just the thought of that now and having an accident is scary

Im sure its illegal too

We did it as kids too. But the bigger the size difference, the more likely the bigger person will chop the little person in half between them and the seat belt if they stop suddenly

Don't do it!!

Ha we used to do this as kids too. Me and little brother (only 1 year younger) used to share the middle seat belt.

Totally silly to do it nowadays, and also most kids small enough to do this should be in a carseat or booster seat. I'd say its definitely illegal.

so not a good idea at all!!!!!

lol I'm from the late 80s and still remember it, and I'm only 23!!!

We did this the other day and so not right (wont do it again!). We were discussing what would happen should there be an accident and both heads would surely collide with a bad result!