Shropshire Star

Shocking video shows why you should always wear a seat belt in the back seat

American safety organisation has shown what happens when rear passengers don’t buckle up

Published
Supporting image for story

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.