Seatbelt sharing
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37314
Printed Date: 27 August 2025 at 2:58am
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Topic: Seatbelt sharing
Posted By: busymum
Subject: Seatbelt sharing
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 9:35pm
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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? -------------  |
Replies:
Posted By: queenbean
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 9:42pm
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I have never even heard of this!! -------------   
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 9:42pm
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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? ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 9:47pm
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Aww man, i remember doing this as a kid!!
But im 99% sure its illegal now - every seat in your car should have a seatbelt so everyone would have one to themselves. If anyone is sharing you would be overloading which would get you pulled up. ETA: cross post with two_boys. And thanks for the blast from the past 
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Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 10:03pm
| 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. |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 10:24pm
MIL does it on occasion with her youngest when we end up with one extra person, though I thought it was illegal and I think it is because they always make BIL duck... 
My understanding was 1 person per seat belt. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 04 January 2011 at 11:18pm
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A quick search found me https://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Internet/auxiliary/faqs/road+safety/child+restraints/is+it+safe+to+share+a+seat+belt - 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. ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 6:54am
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I also dont know anyone that does this! Funny though that you werent able to find any law relating to it, wonder if there is one? ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4
 
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 7:06am
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 -------------  
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Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 7:16am
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Bowie and two_boys are right you would be pulled up for the car being overloaded
I havent heard of anyone doing that for years ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 8:15am
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!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 1:12pm
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I didn't know people did this sort of thing these days..... ------------- 
 Oct 11
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Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 1:17pm
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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. ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: shadowfeet
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 1:29pm
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We did it as kids too, with the adult having the seatbelt around them and a belt looped through that belt around the kid. So bad and we would never do it. ------------- 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 05 January 2011 at 1:38pm
| so not a good idea at all!!!!! |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 08 January 2011 at 10:15pm
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I totally agree, though your comments on doing it as a kid being a "blast from the past" etc make me feel old. I'm an 80's kid, really!! ------------- |
Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 7:36am
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lol I'm from the late 80s and still remember it, and I'm only 23!!! ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:21am
^^ ditto, i'm an '87 and i remember being strapped into the seat with my brother on the way home from the beach with all the cousins on board 
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Posted By: linda
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:59am
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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! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Alex 6 and Harry 8 |
Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 2:07pm
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My mil was planning to do this with my niece about a month ago, and sil hit the roof. They were going to be driving 30 mins down the motorway. ehm not with my kids thanks!
But yes remember doing it as kids and def as teenagers, but then the variation was to lie down across the laps of the backseat passengers so cops didn't see the extra person. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 2:51pm
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Hehe, yup or the extra person gets into the floor well in the front (which is where i normally was since i was smallest) or in the boot (Teenagers, NOT kids)
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:42pm
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Ugh. I hate it when parents get their kids to hide from Police. Soooo the wrong message. My parents used to strap us together, side by side. My aunt got us to double up, ie one child on the other child's lap. So there was no hiding but it still sounds so dangerous now.
"Back then" booster seats weren't even required for kids so I guess ideas and ideals have changed a lot in the last 20 yrs. ------------- |