What are the penalties for not wearing seat belts in the back seat?
2 Answers
Generally, not wearing seat belts in the back seat is not penalized, but there are exceptions in certain cities, such as Shenzhen. According to the Road Traffic Safety Law, when a motor vehicle is in motion, the driver and passengers must use seat belts as required, and motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear safety helmets as required. Seat belts have become a primary consideration for drivers and passengers and are also one of the important safety features of a car. Seat belts can be divided into full-body seat belts and half-body seat belts. Full-body seat belts wrap around the entire body and are equipped with multiple suspension points at the waist, chest, and back. They can usually be detached into a half-body seat belt and a chest-type seat belt. Half-body seat belts only wrap around part of the body (usually the lower half, but there are chest-type seat belts for upper body protection). Their usage range is relatively narrower compared to full-body seat belts and is generally used for "seat suspension."
I've been driving for twenty years and have experienced all kinds of road conditions. Not wearing seat belts in the back seat is something you really can't take lightly. The law requires rear passengers to wear seat belts. If caught by traffic police, the driver will be fined, usually around 200 yuan, and also have 2 points deducted from their license—this standard is basically the same across all regions. Once on the highway, I didn’t check the rear passengers and ended up getting fined, plus having to attend a remedial safety course. Safety-wise, not wearing a seat belt in the back is even more dangerous—during sudden braking or a crash, passengers can easily be thrown out and injured. My advice is to confirm everyone is buckled up before every trip. Once it becomes a habit, it’s effortless and helps avoid unexpected losses.
