Contents

Objective of the Rule

Extent of consultation

Section 1 Application

• 1.1 Title
• 1.2 Commencement
• 1.3 Principal Rule amended

Section 2 Amendments to clause 3.2

• 2.1 Amendments to clause 3.2

Objective of the Rule

Land Transport Rule: Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Amendment 2016 (the amendment Rule) amends Land Transport Rule: Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages 2002 (the Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Rule). The Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Rule states in which seating positions seatbelts must be fitted in vehicles, as well as the type of seatbelt that must be fitted. The aim is to ensure that safety requirements for the fitting and maintenance of seatbelts are complied with, and that seatbelts are securely anchored to a vehicle’s structure so that they function effectively in a crash.

The objective of the amendment Rule is to clarify that seatbelts fitted in the rear of motorhomes must be—

• (a) in the case of front or rear-facing seats, either lap seatbelts or lap and diagonal seatbelts; and
• (b) in the case of sideways-facing seats, lap seatbelts only.

Extent of consultation

For the purposes of consultation, amendments proposed to the Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Rule and 14 other Land Transport Rules were combined into a single Rule, Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment 2016 (the Omnibus Amendment Rule). Following consultation, the provisions in the Omnibus Amendment Rule were split into separate amendment Rules.

The NZ Transport Agency sent details of the amendment proposals by letter or email to approximately 3170 groups and individuals who had registered an interest in the Rules to be amended. The Omnibus Amendment Rule was made available through the NZ Transport Agency’s Contact Centre and, together with Questions and Answers, was also available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website. The availability of the amendment proposals for comment was publicised in the daily newspapers in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin and in the New Zealand Gazette.

The NZ Transport Agency received 35 submissions on the Omnibus Amendment Rule, of which 13 commented on the proposed amendments to the Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Rule.

The submissions received were taken into account in finalising the draft Rule following which it was submitted to the Associate Minister of Transport for signing.

Section 1 Application

1.1 Title

This Rule is Land Transport Rule: Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages Amendment 2016.

1.2 Commencement

This Rule comes into force on 1 December 2016.

1.3 Principal Rule amended

This Rule amends Land Transport Rule: Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages 2002.

Section 2 Amendments to clause 3.2

2.1 Amendments to clause 3.2

2.1(1) Replace clause 3.2(3)(b) with:

• (b) seatbelts that comply with 3.2(4) in at least as many rear seating positions as the number of sleeping berths exceeds the number of front seating positions; and

2.1(2) After clause 3.2(3) insert:

• 3.2(4) Seatbelts fitted in rear seating positions must comply with the requirements for Class MB vehicles in Table 2.4, except that the type of seatbelt in forward or rearward-facing seats may be Type B, Type A or Type A-ELR.