Safety belt statistics - rear seat 2010

Last updated on 7/05/2012 10:01 a.m. 

The latest annual national survey of safety belt use in New Zealand by adults in the rear seats of cars was carried out in November and December 2010.

More than 10,000 adults seated in the rear seats of cars were observed at 139 sites around the country. As in previous years, each site was surveyed between 2 pm and 4 pm on Sunday afternoons during the school term. Only adults seated in the rear left and right window positions were included in the survey.

In 2010, the safety belt wearing rate for rear seat adult passengers was 88 percent. This is an increase from 87 percent in 2007, 2008 and 2009 (see Table 1).

Table 1: Safety belt wearing rates for adults in the rear seat (%)
Category  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 2010 
Males  72  66  76  78  82  84  86  84  83  84  87 
Females 79  73  83  84  88  89  91  90  89  90  88 
Van passengers 67  50  69  72  72  75  79  75  75  75  78 
New Zealand 76  70  80  81  86  86  89  87  87  87  88 

Female rear seat passengers continued to have a slightly higher rear seat safety belts wearing rate than males, but there was less of a gap in wearing rate than previous years (see Table 1). All adult passengers had a lower wearing rate in vans. Rear seat passengers who appeared to be aged 15–19 years were recorded as teenagers. The wearing rate among teenagers was 88 percent. More teenage girls were wearing their safety belts (90 percent) than teenage boys (86 percent). These are similar to the corresponding adult rates.

Figure showing safety belt wearing rates for adults in the rear seat from 1999 to 2010.

In this report, changes from previous years have been commented on in the text only if statistically significant at the 5 percent level.

Regional wearing rates

National restraint wearing surveys are designed to provide a consistent measure of safety belt use over time, by surveying the same sites in each region each year. In 2010, at least 200 vehicle occupants were surveyed in each region, except in Gisborne where only 56 rear seat adult passengers were observed during the survey period.

Table 2 shows the rear seat safety belt wearing rates in each local government region over the last 10 years. Overall, the wearing of rear seat safety belts has decreased slightly over the last year in Otago from 90 percent in 2009 to 85 percent in 2010. Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu/Wanganui, Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman and Canterbury have all increased.

Wearing rates in Northland, Auckland, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, West Coast and Southland have not changed markedly since last year.

Table 2: Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by region (%)
Local government  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
Northland  72  84  87  89  94  99  71  73  94  93 
Auckland 84  84  82  90  82  93  92  88  76  77 
Waikato 80  78  82  85  83  83  88  83  91  93* 
Bay of Plenty 53  79  70  78  85  90  76  86  87  95* 
Gisborne 55  54  69  59  97  86  92  Sample too small  79  Sample too small 
Hawke's Bay 52  81  76  87  96  90  84  87  94  96 
Taranaki 65  81  83  81  92  91  93  94  94  98* 
Manawatu-Wanganui 73  79  85  85  87  94  92  92  87  91* 
Wellington 71  77  82  87  84  89  87  89  84  83 
Nelson-Marlborough-Tasman 82  77  90  93  89  88  87  83  85  94* 
Canterbury 82  79  78  85  89  95  91  91  87  92* 
West Coast 58  76  82  88  85  87  91  92  93  89 
Otago 85  88  79  78  88  92  84  79  90  85* 
Southland 76  67  88  74  70  64  71  78  77  77 
All NZ 70  80  81  86  86  89  87  87  87  88* 

* indicates statistically significant change from previous year.

Note. The accuracy of the wearing rates shown here depends on the sample sizes (the number of car occupants observed). If the sample size is small, the data may show large random fluctuations in the observed wearing rate.  

Local Authority wearing rates

At territorial local authority (TLA) level, sample sizes are relatively small and results should be treated with caution. For example, with a sample size of 100 and a wearing rate of 75 percent the margin of error  is approximately 9 percent. While small samples make it difficult to detect small changes in the wearing rate from year to year, these results are useful to local authorities as an indication of how much improvement is needed. Where fewer than 70 people were sampled in a TLA, neighbouring local bodies have been combined for estimation.

Table 3: Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by territorial local authority, 2010
Local authority/authorities  People in sample      % restrained 
Northland 
Far North  114 80 
Whangarei 179 100 
Whangarei/Kaipara 236 100 
Auckland 
Auckland 1801 77 
Waikato 
Thames-Coromandel 397 100 
Hauraki 140 83 
Waikato 238 83 
Hamilton City 223 93 
Matamata-Piako/Hauraki 194 84 
Waipa 161 94 
South Waikato 266 100 
Waitomo 102 94 
Otorohonga 119 79 
Taupo 142 94 
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga  226 98 
Western Bay of Plenty 176 98 
Rotorua 191 90 
Whakatane/Kawerau 163 95 
Opotiki 91 93 
Gisborne 
Gisborne 53 Sample too small 
Hawke's Bay 
Napier/Hastings  205 95 
Napier 143 96 
Central Hawke's Bay/Hastings 129 93 
Wairoa 220 97 
Taranaki 
New Plymouth  357 97 
Stratford 94 99 
South Taranaki 133 100 
Manawatu-Wanganui 
Rangitikei/Ruapehu  139 91 
Whanganui/Ruapehu 97 92 
Manawatu 103 92 
Palmerston North 206 89 
Tararua 78 88 
Horowhenua 132 92 
Wellington 
Kapiti Coast  244 91 
Porirua 135 87 
Upper Hutt 79 84 
Hutt City 179 85 
Wellington City 85 75 
Masterton 141 75 
Carterton/South Wairarapa 153 78 
Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman 
Nelson/Marlborough  149 89 
Tasman 154 98 
West Coast 
Buller  101 93 
Grey/Westland 114 87 
Canterbury 
Kaikoura/Hurunui  83 83 
Waimakariri 84 96 
Christchurch City 204 99 
Selwyn 128 98 
Ashburton 91 99 
Timaru 82 83 
Mackenzie/Waimate 155 82 
Otago 
Waitaki/Central Otago  134 93 
Queenstown-Lakes 157 79 
Dunedin 133 77 
Clutha/Dunedin 207 85 
Southland
Gore 123 65 
Invercargill/Southland 122 89

Police District wearing rates

National restraint wearing surveys are designed to provide a consistent measure of safety belt use over time, by surveying the same sites in each police district each year. In 2010, at least 350 vehicle occupants were surveyed in each district. Table 4 shows the rear safety belt wearing rates in each police district over the last 10 years.

Overall, rear safety belt wearing stayed relatively constant in 2010. Bay of Plenty, Central, and Canterbury police districts showed an increase in rear safety belt wearing. Auckland also showed an increase in rear seatbelt wearing from 59 percent to 78 percent, but has not returned to the levels observed in 2006 and 2007. Wearing rates in all other police districts were approximately constant over the last year, increasing or decreasing by 3 percent or less.

Table 4: Rear adult safety belt wearing rates by police district (%)
Police District 2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 2009 2010
Northland 72  84 87  89 94 99  71  73  94  93
Waitemata 94 85  82  93 91  96  96  86  74  71
Auckland  72  78 87  80 72  98  97  83  59  78*
Counties Manukau  79  86  78 89 70  83  83  95  89  91
Waikato  80  79  81  85 83  84  86  83  91  91
Bay of Plenty  60 79  74  81 85 88  84  84  87  96*
Eastern  53  77  75  84  96  89  87  84  92  94
Central  68  80  85  84  89  93  92  93  90  94*
Wellington  71  77  82  87  84  89  87  89  84  83
Tasman  82  74  89  91  88  89  85  85  88  91
Canterbury  58  78  81  87  85  87  93  93  88  93*
Southern  59  81  82  77  83  84  81  79  85  82
All NZ  70  80  81  86  86  89  87  87  87  88*

*indicates statistically significant change from previous year.

Police area wearing rates

Sample sizes for many police areas are relatively small compared to those for police districts and results should be treated with caution. For example, with a sample size of 150 and a wearing rate of 75 percent, the margin of error[1]  is approximately 7 percent. While a sample as small as this makes it difficult to detect small changes in the wearing rate from year to year, these results are useful to local police as an indication of how much improvement is needed. No wearing rate has been estimated where fewer than 70 people were sampled. Instead, neighbouring police areas have been combined for estimation.

1 Margin of error based on a 95 percent confidence interval

Table 5: Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by Police area, 2010
Police area People in sample  % restrained 
Northland 
Far North  114  80 
Whangarei 236  100 
Waitemata 
North Shore  239  72 
Waitakere 617  70 
Rodney  322  73 
Auckland 
Auckland  690  78 
Counties Manukau
Manukau West  137  81 
Manukau Central 90  89 
Manukau South 239  97 
Waikato
Hamilton  223  93 
Waikato East 591  95 
Waikato West 620  87 
Bay of Plenty
Western Bay of Plenty  402  98 
Eastern Bay of Plenty 254  94 
Rotorua 191  90 
Taupo 408  98 
Eastern 
Gisborne  273  93 
Napier 143  96 
Hastings 129  93 
Central 
New Plymouth  357  97 
Taranaki Rural 227  100 
Whanganui 166  96 
Whanganui/Ruapehu 201  94 
Palmerston North City 206  89 
Palmerston North Rural 313  91 
Wellington 
Kapiti-Mana  379  89 
Wellington 85  75 
Lower Hutt 179  85 
Upper Hutt 79  84 
Wairarapa 294  77 
Tasman
Nelson Bays  246  96 
Marlborough 109  83 
West Coast 215  89 
Canterbury 
Northern Canterbury  115  94 
Christchurch Central 103  99 
Southern Canterbury 237  82 
Mid-South Cantebury 320  99 
Southern 
Dunedin  207  85 
Otago Rural 291  85 
Southland 245  77