Despite Law, Many in Japan Fail to Belt Up in the Back Seat

The rate of seatbelt usage in rear passenger seats when driving on ordinary roads remained unchanged at 42.9%, according to a nationwide survey conducted from October to December 2022 by the National Police Agency and the Japan Automobile Federation. On highways, the rate of usage increased by 2.3 points year on year to 78.0%, the highest it has been since the joint survey started in 2002.

During the survey period, visual checks confirmed the seatbelt use of approximately 408,000 people on 781 general roads and 88,000 people on 108 highways.

Under road traffic law, it has been mandatory to wear a seatbelt in the rear passenger seats since June 2008. That same year, use of seatbelts in the back of vehicles rose sharply. However, since then, despite the revised law having now being in place for more than 10 years, the rate remains low compared to use for other car seats. With less than half of passengers belting up in the back, there is still insufficient awareness of the importance of wearing a seatbelt.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)