On which road sections is it permissible not to wear a seat belt?

[VonJosephine]

Drivers must wear seat belts on all road sections. Legal violations for not wearing a seat belt: Article 89, Section 4, Clause 4 of the Traffic Law clearly states, 'When driving a motor vehicle on an expressway or urban expressway, the driver fails to wear a seat belt as required,' which constitutes a violation of the law and incurs a penalty of 2 demerit points. On expressways, wearing a seat belt is mandatory without question. Not wearing a seat belt is not illegal: Urban expressways generally refer to 'roads with a central divider, no traffic lights, four or more lanes, and full or partial grade separation with controlled access, allowing vehicles to travel at higher speeds.' For example, Beijing's Fourth Ring Road, with a speed limit of 80 km/h, is classified as an expressway. Therefore, roads without dividers or with traffic lights are generally not considered urban expressways. According to traffic laws, not wearing a seat belt on such roads is not illegal. Wearing a seat belt is a matter of personal safety.

[SanAlina]

Last time I had dinner with a traffic police friend, we specifically talked about this. Actually, except for special places like driving school practice grounds and enclosed construction zones, you must wear seat belts on ordinary roads. Especially on urban expressways, surveillance cameras specifically target this. A veteran driver from our fleet shared a story: last year on a suburban service road, he wasn't wearing a seat belt, got pulled over and fined 200 yuan. What's worse, when an accident happened, the insurance payout was reduced. Remember this saying: neither traffic tickets nor life can be redone.

[VonDaniela]

Don't believe that nonsense about 'no need to buckle up at low speeds.' Old Man Wang in our neighborhood got rear-ended while backing out of an alley, hit his head on the windshield, and needed five stitches. Whether you're going to the grocery store or driving on the highway, as long as the wheels are turning, buckle up properly. Special cases like farming tractors can skip seatbelts, but speed must stay under 20 km/h. New drivers, take note: the 'always wear seatbelts' rule from your driving test is ironclad—don't let seasoned drivers mislead you.

[HectorLynn]

My cousin who works as a doctor mentioned that in the emergency department, 30% of car-related injuries each month are caused by not wearing seat belts. Don't think rural roads are safe—I've personally witnessed the tragic scene of a farm tricycle overturning, with the driver being thrown out of the cab. Unless it's a purely manually pushed broken-down vehicle, it's advisable to develop the muscle memory of reaching for the seat belt as soon as you get in the car. A reminder for friends who often drive on mountain roads: continuous curves are the most dangerous, and seat belts can protect your ribs during a fishtail.

[DiElla]

As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience, I can responsibly tell you: there are no public roads in China where it is legally permitted to not wear a seatbelt. Last week during maintenance, the technician demonstrated that new cars now come with a buzzer reminder for unbuckled seatbelts, which is so annoying that you have to buckle up. Parents with children, take special note: even if you're just going to the convenience store at the neighborhood entrance, the safety buckle on the child seat must be securely fastened—you can't hold onto a child during a sudden brake.

[VonLucille]

Driving instructor's cold knowledge: You don't have to fasten the seatbelt when the vehicle is completely stationary, but you must ensure the engine is off and the handbrake is engaged. Last year, I moved my modified vintage car at the exhibition center without fastening it. However, for actual driving, even on internal factory roads, security will warn you if they see you're not buckled up. A suggestion for friends driving scenic area sightseeing vehicles: Although the speed limit is 15 km/h, it's safer to buckle up on steep slopes.