Wearing a safety belt reduces your chance of death or serious injury in a crash by 40 per cent. Whether you sit in the front or the back seat, the risk of serious or fatal injury is virtually the same.

New Zealand's safety belt wearing rate is currently 94 per cent for adults in the front seat, and 86 per cent in the rear seat.

In New Zealand, Police officers attending fatal crashes give an indication of whether safety belts were worn at the time of the crash and estimate whether wearing a safety belt would have saved the person's life. Over the last few years more than 30 lives could have been saved each year if people had worn their safety belts.

Every child under five years of age must be properly restrained by an approved child restraint when travelling in cars and vans. An adult safety belt alone is not enough. Children between five and seven years of age must use an appropriate child restraint if one is available, or else use an adult safety belt. Older children must use a safety belt if available, and if no restraint is available they must travel in the rear seat. It is the driver's responsibility to make sure all child passengers are correctly restrained. 

Source: Ministry of Transport