New York State May Pass Law Requiring Back Seat Passengers To Buckle Up

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — In the last few hours of the session, New York state may pass a law that would require all passengers to buckle up in the back seat of cars.

A bill to make belt use in back seats mandatory passed the New York Senate in May. The Assembly is expected to vote on the bill.

The current law requires passengers to wear seat belts in the front seat and requires children under the age of 8 to wear seat belts in the back seat.

As of right now, passengers over the age of 16 are not legally required to wear seat belts in the back seat.

The bill would not require passengers in the back seat of taxis to wear seat belts, although it would apply to ride shares like Uber and Lyft.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 28% of passengers do not buckle up in the back seat. Those who don’t wear a seat belt are eight times more likely to be injured or killed in a crash.

RELATED STORY: Report: People Less Likely To Wear Seat Belts In Back Seat Putting Themselves, Front Seat Passengers At Risk

Robert Sinclair, manager of communications for AAA Northeast, says with a busy summer travel season coming up, AAA is warning people about the dangers of not wearing a seat belt.

According to Sinclair, statistics show 250 people who were not wearing their seat belt in the back seat of a vehicle were killed from 2010-2017 in New York state.

Those who are hitting the road this summer should know that many states do have laws that require everyone to buckle up in the back seat. Those states include New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.