MIROS: Only 7 to 9 Percent of Malaysians Use Rear Seat Belts

Although the use of rear seat belts has been mandatory since 1-January 2009, less than one in ten Malaysians buckle up in the rear, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Speaking to The Star, Liow said that a study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) showed that only 7 to 9 percent of people belt up in the back seat.

“Our road fatality rate is very high, and we have introduced many measures, including the back seat belt requirement.

“Unfortunately, adherence to the law is still very low,” Liow told The Star yesterday.

Separately, we at Carlist.my strongly encourage drivers to ensure that all your passengers, front and rear, are buckled up.

It's not so much about being concerned about their safety. It's about protecting yourself as the driver first. It is their choice if they are not concerned about their own safety but you as the driver, should be concerned of yours.

An unbuckled 70 kg passenger sitting directly behind you could in a collision at just 50 km/h, slam into you with the equivalent force of a 3.5 ton elephant, as illustrated in the video below.

Here's another one.

So buckle up, what's the point of asking how many airbags does a car have when you are not even using something as basic as a seatbelt?

The main image above is taken from a Volvo XC60 T6, which comes with integrated booster seats for children who have outgrown child seats but are at the same time too small to be adequately protected by seat belts.