Unbuckled in back: an overlooked issue in occupant protection

In 2013, 883 unbelted rear seat passenger vehicle occupants age 8 and older died in traffic crashes in the United States. More than 400 of these occupants would have survived if they had worn their seat belts. Nationwide, rear seat belt use in 2013 was 78%, 9 percentage points lower than front seat belt use. Rear seat belt use was lower than front seat belt use in almost every state and was substantially lower in many states. But most strategies for encouraging and increasing belt use do not target rear seat occupants. Twenty-two states don’t require belt use in rear seats. The remaining states don’t emphasize rear seat belt use. There are no state or national campaigns explicitly targeting rear seat belt use by adults. Increasing rear seat belt use is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to save lives.