Safety belt statistics - rear seat 2009

Last updated on 7/05/2012 9:59 a.m. 

This 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 2009.

More than 12,000 adults seated in the rear seat 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 window positions were included in the survey.

In 2009, the safety belt wearing rate for rear seat adult passengers was 87 percent. This result is the same as in 2007 and 2008 and is similar to 2004 and 2005 wearing rates (see Table 1).

Table 1. Safety belt wearing rates for adults in the rear seat (%)

Category  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
Males  61  72  66  76  78  82  84  86  84  83  84 
Females 72  79  73  83  84  88  89  91  90  89  90 
Van passengers 62  67  50  69  72  72  75  79  75  75  75 
New Zealand 67  76  70  80  86  81  86  89  87  87  87 

Female rear seat passengers continued to have a higher rear seat safety belts wearing rate than males (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 Graph showing safety belt wearing rates for adults in the rear seat from 1999 to 2000. It shows females have a higher wearing rate than males.

Regional wearing rates

National restraint wearing surveys are designed to provide a consistent measure of safteenagers was 88 percent. More teenage girls were wearing their safety belts (91 percent) than teenage boys (86 percent). These are similar to the corresponding adult rates.

Figure 1. Safety belt wearing rates for adults in the rear seat, 1999-2009

ety belt use over time, by surveying the same sites in each region each year. In 2009, at least 200 vehicle occupants were surveyed in each region, except in Gisborne where 90 people were surveyed.

Table 2 shows the rear seat safety belt wearing rates in each Local Government region over the last ten years. Overall, the wearing of rear seat safety belts has decreased slightly over the last year in Auckland, Manawatu/Whanganui, Wellington and Canterbury. Northland, Waikato, Hawkes Bay and Otago have all increased.

Wearing rates in all other regions have not changed markedly since last year, and are continuing to follow a similar pattern to the national wearing rate.

Table 2. Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by region (%)

Local Govt Region  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
Northland 88  72  84  87  89  94  99  71  73  94 
Auckland 84  84  84  82  90  82  93  92  88  76 
Waikato 78  80  78  82  85  83  83  88  83  91 
Bay of Plenty 66  53  79  70  78  85  90  76  86  87 
Gisborne 53  55  54  69  59  97  86  92 

Sample too small 

 79 
Hawke's Bay 47  52  81  76  87  96  90  84  87  94 
Taranaki 66  65  81  83  81  92  91  93  94  94 
Manawatu-Whanganui 83  73  79  85  85  87  94  92  92  87 
Wellington 78  71  77  82  87  84  89  87  89  84 
Nelson-Marlborough 85  82  77  90  93  89  88  87  83  85 
Canterbury 75  82  79  78  85  89  95  91  91  87 
West Coast 76  58  76  82  88  85  87  91  92  93 
Otago 87  85  88  79  78  88  92  84  79  90 
Southland 74  76  67  88  74  70  64  71  78  77 
All NZ 76  70  80  81  86  86  89  87  87  87 

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

Local authority wearing rates

At Local Authority 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 as an indication of how much improvement is needed. Where fewer than 75 people were sampled in a TLA, neighbouring local bodies have been combined for estimation.

Table 3. Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by Local Authority (%)

Local authority/authorities  People in sample  Wearing rate 2009 
Northland 
Far North 145  84 
Whangarei 227  100 
Whangerei/Kaipara 292  99 
Auckland 
North Shore 208  74 
Rodney 373  89 
Waitakere 244  51 
Auckland 344  59 
Manukau 391  91 
Papakura/Franklin 161  86 
Papakura 102  87 
Waikato 
Thames-Coromandel 535  99 
Hauraki 130  93 
Waikato 352  95 
Hamilton City 327  86 
Matamata-Piako 198  80 
Waipa 182 84
South Waikato 257 99
Waitomo 124 92
Otorohanga 109 86
Taupo 403 81
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga 250 88
Western Bay of Plenty 305 97
Rotorua 448 86
Whakatane/Opotiki 129 86
Kawerau 122 60
Gisborne
Gisborne 90 79
Hawke's Bay
Napier/Hastings 224 93
Napier 177 92
Central Hawke's Bay 107 91
Wairoa 501 95
Taranaki
New Plymouth 410 92
Stratford 79 100
South Taranaki 95 100
Manawatu-Whanganui
Rangitikei/Ruapehu 184 95
Whanganui 104 74
Manawatu 114 92
Palmerston North 220 86
Tararua/Horowhenua 174 86
Horowhenua 122 83
Wellington
Kapiti Coast 369 84
Porirua 182 86
Upper Hutt 300 89
Hutt 190 91
Wellington City 204 87
Masterton 186 74
Carterton/South/Wairarapa 228 78
Nelson-Marlborough/Tasman
Nelson/Tasman 97 85
Marlborough 93 85
West Coast
Buller/Westland 123 89
Grey 133 95
Canterbury
Kaikoura/Hurunui 235 88
Waimakariri 144 92
Christchurch City 197 90
Selwyn 130 72
Ashburton 167 100
Timaru 196 78
Mackenzie/Waimate 133 92
Otago
Waitaki/Central Otago 77 91
Queenstown-Lakes 246 93
Dunedin 161 78
Clutha 112 100
Southland
Gore 149 70
Invercargill/Southland 156 83

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 2009, at least 340 vehicle occupants were surveyed in each district. Table 4 shows the rear safety belt wearing rates in each Police District over the last ten years.

Overall, rear safety belt wearing stayed relatively constant in 2009. Waitemata, Auckland Counties/Manukau, Central, Wellington and Canterbury Police Districts showed a decrease in rear safety belt wearing. Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Eastern and Southern showed an increase in wearing rate. Wearing rates in all other police districts were approximately constant over the last year.

Table 4. Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by Police District (%)

Police District  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
Northland 88  72  84  87  89  94  99  71  73  94 
Waitemata 90  94  85  82  93  91  96  96  86  74 
Auckland 79  72  78  87  80  72  98  97  83  59 
Counties Manukau 73  79  86  78  89  70  83  83  95  89 
Waikato 77  80  79  81  85  83  84  86  83  91 
Bay of Plenty 72  60  79  74  81  85  88  84  84  87 
Eastern 49  53  77  75  84  96  89  87  84  92 
Central 75  68  80  85  84  89  93  92  93  90 
Wellington 78  71  77  82  87  84  89  87  89  84 
Tasman 79  82  74  89  91  88  89  85  85  88 
Canterbury 76  58  78  91  87  85  87  93  93  88 
Southern 81  59  81  82  77  83  84  81  79  85 
All NZ 76  70  80  81  86  86  89  87  87  87 

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*  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 as an indication of how much improvement is needed. No wearing rate has been estimated where fewer than 75 people were sampled.

Table 5. Rear seat adult safety belt wearing rates by Police Area (%)

Police Area  People in sample  Wearing rate 2009 
Northland
Far North 145  84 
Whangerei 292  99 
Waitemata
North Shore 208  74 
Waitakere 244  51 
Rodney 373  89 
Auckland 
Auckland 344  59 
Counties Manukau
Manukau West 266  97 
Manukau Central 125  78 
Manukau South 161  86 
Waikato 
Hamilton 327  86 
Waikato East 863  94 
Waikato West 767  91 
Bay of Plenty 
Western Bay of Plenty 555  93 
Eastern Bay of Plenty 251  73 
Rotorua 448  86 
Taupo 660  88 
Eastern  
Gisborne 591  92 
Napier 177  92 
Hastings 154  94 
Central
New Plymouth 410  92 
Taranaki rural 174  100 
Whanganui 220 84
Ruapehu 68 Sample too small
Whanganui/Ruapehu 288 87
Palmerston North City 220 86
Palmerston North rural 288 89
Wellington
Kapiti-Mana 551 84
Wellington 204 87
Lower Hutt 190 91
Upper Hutt 300 89
Wairarapa 414 76
Tasman
Nelson Bays 97 85
Marlborough 271 85
West Coast 256 93
Canterbury
Northern Canterbury 201 94
Christchurch Central 114 96
Southern Canterbury 329 83
Mid-South Canterbury 380 87
Southern
Dunedin 273 87
Otago Rural 323 92
Southland 305 77

Safety belt wearing by adult rear seat passengers was prepared by Transport Monitoring, February 2010.

*Margin of error such that wearing rate +- margin of error describes a 95 percent confidence interval for the wearing rate.

 

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