ALBANY – Lawmakers in the state Senate agreed Tuesday to give final passage to a bill, languishing in Albany since 2002, requiring adults riding in any seat positions in a vehicle – including now the rear seats – to be buckled up in safety belts.

If signed into law, New York would join 30 other states with such requirements on adult passengers. New York law requires seat belts in front seats for drivers and passengers and those 16 and younger have to wear the safety belts in all seat positions of a vehicle.

“Numbers don’t lie. If you fail to buckle up in the backseat, experts say you are two times more likely to be killed and eight times more likely to be seriously injured,’’ said Senator David Carlucci, a Rockland County Democrat and sponsor of the bill.

All states but one – New Hampshire – require adults to wear seat belts if riding up front. The bill approved Tuesday in Albany would require those 16 and old to also wear seat belts when seated in the rear.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says a 2018 study showed about 90% of front seat occupants used seat belts. But the number dropped to 75% for adults using belts in rear seats.