Is it mandatory to wear seat belts in the back seat on highways?
3 Answers
It is mandatory to wear seat belts in the back seat on highways. According to relevant regulations, passengers in the rear seats of a car must wear seat belts under any circumstances. The car seat belt is a device designed to ensure the safety of passengers and the driver when the vehicle is subjected to a severe impact, preventing injuries caused by the deployment of airbags. To prevent such injuries during a collision, drivers of small passenger vehicles and front-seat passengers are required by public security authorities to use seat belts. Seat belts provide a cushioning effect to prevent secondary injuries in the event of a traffic accident. In addition to seat belts for both front and rear seats, high-end cars are also equipped with airbag systems. In the event of a collision, the airbags automatically inflate and deploy to prevent occupants from colliding with the vehicle body.
I've been driving for twenty years and often take long-distance trips. Fastening the rear seat belts is no trivial matter. At highway speeds, sudden braking or a rear-end collision can easily throw rear passengers into the front seats or even the windshield, causing severe injuries. Moreover, traffic laws explicitly require all passengers, regardless of seating position, to wear seat belts. Police will issue fines if they catch violations. I've witnessed too many accidents caused by unfastened rear seat belts, so now I always make sure my family members buckle up securely in the back. This isn't just for their safety - it protects everyone in the vehicle.
Last year I got fined 200 yuan by traffic police for not wearing the rear seatbelt and finally learned my lesson. Nowadays there are dedicated seatbelt cameras at highway entrances/exits that can catch unbuckled rear passengers too. From a safety perspective, rear seats actually endure greater impact force than front seats during emergency braking - last time in my friend's car, I slammed into the front seatback so hard my phone got smashed. Rear seatbelts not only secure passengers but also prevent them from becoming human projectiles that could injure the driver. I recommend making it a habit to verbally remind rear passengers before driving - safety is no trivial matter.
