What to Do If There Are No Seat Belts in the Back Seat of the Car?
4 Answers
Installation is mandatory. According to the "Safety Technical Conditions for Motor Vehicle Operation," all passenger cars, highway buses, school buses, and other vehicles must be equipped with seat belts, which are installed during the vehicle's production. If seat belts are missing, it is usually because the owner has removed them. Additional Information: 1. The main function of seat belts: To fully ensure the safety of passengers and the driver. In the event of an accident or emergency braking, seat belts effectively restrain people in their seats, preventing forward impact and reducing injuries. Seat belts primarily serve as a buffer, absorbing the energy generated during a collision and dissipating inertial forces. 2. When to wear seat belts: Seat belts should be fastened whenever the vehicle is about to move, whether riding in a bus or a family car, and whether sitting in the front or back seats. In case of an accident or emergency, there is often no time to prepare, as accidents can happen in an instant.
I've been driving for twenty years, and the lack of rear seat belts is a common sight in older car models. The first thing to do is check the vehicle's model year—cars from before the 1990s might not have been designed with rear seat belts at all. If the car is too old and lacks pre-installed mounting points, retrofitting them is nearly impossible. My advice is either to avoid letting passengers sit in the back or to upgrade to a newer car for safety. Nowadays, traffic enforcement is stricter, and getting caught with unbelted rear passengers can result in a fine of at least 200 yuan. If you must use the car, it's best to stick to short trips at low speeds. But honestly, cars without rear seat belts should be phased out—in case of a rear-end collision or side impact, rear passengers could be thrown from the vehicle, which is extremely dangerous, especially if children are involved.
I totally get your situation. A friend of mine just bought a classic car and ran into the same issue. First of all, don't take chances by continuing to carry passengers—backseat fatality rates in accidents are over three times higher than the front. Check the vehicle manual to see if rear seatbelts weren't originally equipped; many pre-mid-90s cars were indeed like this. There are two solutions: if there are mounting points, you can have three-point seatbelts compliant with GB14166 standards professionally installed, but it'll cost around 2,000 RMB for the full set. If the car body lacks mounting points, don't bother—either use it as a solo commuter car or trade it in directly. By the way, the used car market heavily discounts older vehicles without rear seatbelts, typically by at least 30%.
The issue of missing rear seat belts depends on the situation. Check whether the seat belt slots are covered by seat cushions or simply not installed at all. Generally, Japanese cars manufactured after 2007 are equipped with them, while German cars had them even earlier. If confirmed absent, immediately discontinue using the rear seats. A temporary emergency solution is to purchase portable two-point seat belts online, but these are only suitable for low-speed, short-distance travel and offer significantly less protection. Long-term solutions include either having a professional seat belt system installed by a modification shop or replacing the vehicle altogether. It's important to remind you that even after installation, regularly check the locking function of the seat belt buckles—this is the most easily overlooked aspect. During routine maintenance, pay special attention to the B-pillar for any cracks or gaps, as the B-pillar bears dramatically increased force in collisions in vehicles without seat belts.
