What are the penalties for not wearing seat belts in the back seat of a private car?
2 Answers
Private car rear passengers not wearing seat belts will be penalized with demerit points and fines. Below is an introduction about seat belts: 1. Introduction: A seat belt is a vehicle safety device designed to protect vehicle occupants from harmful movements caused by collisions or sudden stops. 2. Function: The purpose of seat belts is to reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury in traffic collisions by minimizing secondary impact forces that pose internal collision risks, by properly positioning occupants to ensure maximum effectiveness of airbags (if equipped), and by preventing occupants from being ejected from the vehicle or during a rollover. 3. Development: Starting from the 2020 model year, some Chevrolet vehicles will refuse to start for 20 seconds if the driver is not wearing a seat belt and the car is in "Teen Driver" mode. Previously, some fleets of General Motors had also introduced similar features.
I can relate to this. Last time, a friend took his family on a trip out of town, and their child in the back seat unbuckled the seatbelt. They were immediately pulled over by highway patrol. The driver got a 200-yuan fine and penalty points. Now, nationwide checks on rear seatbelts are strict—not just on highways but even during rush hours in the city, with officers specifically targeting this. I checked the traffic laws: if passengers don’t wear seatbelts, the driver is held accountable. In case of an accident, insurers might even refuse medical claims. Remember that rear-end collision video from Chengdu? A rear passenger flew straight through the windshield—seatbelts are truly lifesavers in critical moments.
