Safety 101: Should I wear my seatbelt when seated at the back?

Do you wear your seatbelt when you’re seated at the back of a vehicle? The hard truth is that many people would answer no to this question.

As with our previous post about Why seatbelts, along with airbags, can help save your life, many people claim that it is uncomfortable using these belts, especially in the back seat. Then there are those who say they don’t need to wear their seatbelt because they’ve got the front seat to protect them in case of a crash.

Unfortunately, that last statement is the farthest thing from the truth. On the contrary, that front seat can actually be the cause of death in a car crash. Moreover, it can likewise kill the person seated in the front, even if they’re buckled up.

It’s a simple case of physics of a moving object (person unbuckled in the back seat) slamming into a stationary object (front seat and its occupant). And the force becomes even greater when the vehicle is moving. Or slowing down, in this case.

Statistics also show that around 55 percent of vehicular accident deaths in 2014 were rear seat passengers who were not wearing their seatbelts. They were either slammed onto the front seat or worse, thrown out of the vehicle.

So yes, you should wear a seatbelt when seated at the rear. It could not only save your life but that of a loved one riding with you.

Recent Posts