American authorities have released dramatic footage to scare rear-seat passengers into wearing their safety belt.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) used crash test dummies to simulate what happens when an unrestrained adult rear-seat passenger is involved in a crash.

The demonstration was put together after a survey of 1,172 passengers showed that four out of five respondents didn’t bother to use a seat belt for short journeys or in a taxi when in the back.

While the footage shows that not wearing a seat belt is dangerous for the passenger involved, it can also be lethal for the person in front.

Jessica Jermakian, IIHS senior research engineer, said: “People who don’t use safety belts might think their neglect won’t hurt anyone else. That’s not the case.

“In the rear seat a lap/shoulder belt is the primary means of protection in a frontal crash. Without it, bodies can hit hard surfaces or other people at full speed, leading to serious injuries.”

According to the survey, the least likely to wear a seat belt in the back is the 35-to-54-year-old age bracket, while women are more likely to buckle up than men.

The data is backed up by UK findings. Road safety organization Think! says 17-to-54-year-olds are the most likely to be involved in a crash but the least likely to belt up.

It estimates that more than 2,000 lives in the UK could be saved every year by passengers putting on a seat belt.