trooper

Urm... I think you might want to take that...as the joke that it was...

Don't worry.. I'm not blind to the fact that many of MY countrymen (and women) seem to think "extraterritoriality" is alive and well...

Why else - when busted for drugs in an Asian country (you know, one of those that don't think illegal recreational drugs are at all amusing) do those Aussies go on about how:

"In Australia I'd just get a fine...."

True... but (of course) completely irrelevant.

Jerseyguy

While I won't excuse the OP, I will say NZ$150 ($125USD) is quite alot for a seatbelt ticket. Here in the states, most states only charge $30-50USD. This isn't the states, I guess they must be very safety concious in New Zealand or perhaps its a bloated goverment that has alot of "FREE" stuff like health insurance so it has to pay for that some how. I'm sure taxes in New Zealand aren't low either.

BadgerBoi

Hmmm, using dopey foreign tourists to subsidise their health care system? There's a good idea

*A Flyer

Okay, so it is comparatively expensive. So are speeding fines and penalties for other traffic offences (as in Australia). That said, penalties for other things are much less than in the United States.

It reflects the differences in individual and community values that exist between the US and NZ. As for your comments about the value of universal health care and the rates of taxation, take it to OMNI/PR where it belongs (with the irony being that the tax burden in New Zealand and Australia is actually lower than in the United States).

celle

Well, I thought it was a joke, but I was afraid that the OP might take it seriously.

k_sheep

The message is clear: buckle up, people!

Pay your fine and say a silent thanks to the policeman whose advice may save your life one day.

celle

And while you're about it, remember to wear a helmet if you ride a bike. Be it motor bike or pedal cycle, you have to wear a helmet in NZ, and you will be fined for not doing so.

t325

I wasn't even aware there were jurisdictions in the US where being unbuckled in the back seat isn't illegal. I always figured all passengers had to have their seatbelts on.

Regardless, not wearing a seatbelt is one of the more dumber things you can do in a car.

Steve M

And, as has been shown in this thread, this is why we have to have so many laws on the books. Too many people simply won't do obvious, easy, and in many cases free things that significantly reduce the costs to society. Hence the laws.

And, as far as entrapment goes, others are right: the OP doesn't seem to know what the word means. It would be entrapment if the police actively did something that caused, encouraged, or suggested that the OP not wear his seatbelt, and where he was not predisposed to not wearing it prior to the police action. That's obviously not the case here.

Christopher

But I don't think that the NZ system covers medical emergencies that are not accident-related (e.g. you need to have your appendix out, you suffer from a heart attack, etc, etc) or non-emergency medical situations that you still might want to get treated. And it doesn't cover repatriation.

And you still need travel insurance (assuming you want it) for things like lost luggage, delays that cause you expense, and so on and so on.

tjl

You are lucky the consequence of not using the seat belt was a citation, not an injury from a crash.

Trumpkin

Correct for both.

If you have an accident, you're covered but not a "normal" medical issue like a heart attack.

And you still need insurance for everything else.

BadgerBoi

The concept of irony is perhaps a little sharper in the southern hemisphere than it is in the northern hemisphere?

BadgerBoi

I note your location and withdraw the comment that I made in my previous post.

Clincher

This is the only question I was looking for an answer. Does the law allow for a fine reduction if there is reason to warrant it or could a warning have been given first. If anyone has accurate information on that I would be interested.


And a lot of countries don't have this as law

Interesting you speak of signs. A few days after getting the fine for not wearing a seat belt in the rear seat, I rented a car and I was the driver. I drove from Christchurch to Fox Glacier to Milford Sound and back up to Queenstown; over 1000 km. There was only one (1) seatbelt warning sign along the entire way! Incidentally the one sign said nothing of the rear seat requirement. I find this especially interesting since the police woman told me that New Zealand takes their seatbelt laws very seriously.
Lot's of other signs repeated along the way such as drunk driving, driving when tired, driving when fatigued, share the road with bicyclist, etc. Only one seat belt sign.

Never said NY was nor do have reason to believe it is.

This comment would indicate you have all the laws of your country of residence memorized and have never received a citation/fine. Is that so?
I actually think I did pretty good driving as far as I did, on the opposite side of the road no less and broke no other laws.
.

I did enjoy New Zealand!
Saying half of the states have a rear seat belt law is a bit misleading.
In 18 of the 50 states, the seat belt law is considered a secondary offense, which means that a police officer cannot stop and ticket a driver for the sole offense of not wearing a seatbelt.
It was also strange to me because I hardly ever sit in the rear seats. I am always the driver. I know this is not an excuse but I still think some sort of warning would be helpful to tourist. If it is the responsibility of the local New Zealander's to warn rear seat passengers (I saw no other way a tourist would be educated-except getting a hefty fine) then the driver should be ticketed. If the driver warns the rear seat passenger and the passenger still does not wear one then the driver should not drive the car until they do.



It's not the law everywhere.
Think of it this way. Car manufacturer's are regulated by governments to impose safety standards and safety equipment in cars. While most cars have rear seat belts they do not have the same warning lights and alarms as do the front seats. Why not? The Toyota we later rented in New Zealand (separate from the incident) warned me (the driver) and my wife (the front seat passenger) every time we got in the car and did not have the seat belt fastened yet. Why wouldn't government safety regulators require warning lights and alarms for those in the rear seats if they "take the seat belt laws so seriously"? Does not matter if Toyota is made in New Zealand or not, these safety enhancements could be added just as changing the steering from the right side to the left.

Maybe John Adams can clear up your confusion
http://www.enablingchange.com.au/The..._behaviour.pdf