KGUN 9News

Actions

Study: Many don't wear back seat seat belts

Posted at 6:16 AM, Aug 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-03 10:14:23-04

A new study shows that many adults aren't buckling up in the back seat -- are you one of them? 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says four out of five people surveyed admitted to not bothering to buckle up in the back seat while on short trips or taking rides in taxis. 

Seventy-two percent of those surveyed also said they always used a seat belt in the back seat of a car, while 91 percent said they always used one while traveling in a front seat. 

IIHS says that if you're not buckled up in the back seat, you're not only putting yourself at risk, but those in the front of the vehicle, too. 

 

"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," Jessica Jermakian, an IIHS senior research engineer and a co-author of the study says.

More than half of people who die in car crashes each year were not buckled in, IIHS reports. 

To read more about the study, click here.