Police have noticed a worrying rise in people not wearing seatbelts, just before the busy holiday period.
Photo: 123rf
Seventy people who were not wearing seatbelts have been killed in road crashes across the country this year.
Otago Lakes road policing manager Senior Sergeant Glen Wilkinson said he had seen an increase in people not wearing seatbelts and police were not sure why that was.
Police heard a range of excuses from people not wearing seltbelts, Mr Wilkinson said.
None of those excuses were logical and everyone should buckle up.
"It's a no-brainer that the half-second it takes to put a seatbelt on has a huge influence on whether you're going to be injured in a crash."
He also cautioned drivers to factor in a potentially longer journey than expected this summer.
Drivers should be aware that predicted travel times on Google maps could be wrong, he said.
It was important not to cram too much into travel schedules in case of changes in traffic or conditions.
