A traffic cop said she was close to tears when she pulled over a car, and found 13 people squeezed inside.

Constable Sheryl Pearce stopped the seven seater Nissan, which had three women with eight children crammed into the back seat.

She told the Herald on Sunday some of the children were only babies.

She said the driver could have been slapped with 11 tickets, for having passengers without seatbelts on.

"It was just unthinkable that adults who have children that they love, could not care enough about making sure their children were secure. I was just shocked."