What are the penalties for not wearing a seat belt as required?
2 Answers
Violations on urban expressways result in fines and demerit points; violations on roads other than highways or urban expressways incur fines without demerit points; violations on highways lead to fines and demerit points. When a vehicle is traveling on a highway, passengers not wearing seat belts as required will be fined; for violations on urban roads with speed limits below 50 km/h, an oral warning for correction is issued.
The penalties for not wearing a seat belt as required are quite severe. Having driven on the road for over ten years, I often see fines around 200 yuan, plus 2 demerit points, especially on highways or major urban roads where police will issue tickets on the spot. Once, I witnessed a driver who wasn’t properly buckled up, and their minor injuries worsened in a crash—seat belts save lives! Beyond fines and points, some places also enforce educational measures, making violators watch safety videos. Developing the habit is key—make it a daily routine as soon as you get in the car, treating it as a necessary act of self-protection. Don’t underestimate it; in an accident, insurers might even reduce payouts. In short, taking that one second to buckle up before driving is absolutely worth it—avoiding penalties and potential trouble is the smart move.
