You are reading

New State Law to Require Seatbelts for Backseat Passengers Ages 16 and Older

Unsplash

Aug. 12, 2020 By Christian Murray

All passengers in the back seat of a motor vehicle are soon going to be required by state law to buckle up.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation that will require all passengers riding in the back seat to wear a seat belt come Nov. 1. Currently, passengers 16 years and older are not required to buckle up if they are traveling in the back seat.

“We’ve known for decades that seat belts save lives and with this measure we are further strengthening our laws and helping to prevent needless tragedies,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

New York State law currently requires all front seat passengers to wear seat belts—no matter their age. In the back, the law only requires children under the age of 16 to wear seat belts, with those under the age of four requiring safety seats.

In 1984, under Governor Mario Cuomo, New York became the first state to pass a mandatory seat belt law and in the same year, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, approximately 16 percent of individuals wore seat belts. By 2008, 24 years after the law was enacted, the compliance rate was up to 89 percent.

Advocates for the change say that it will increase passenger safety.

“The injuries you can sustain from not wearing a seat belt can be deadly, and that’s a fact whether you sit in the front or the back of a vehicle. With this bill signed into law, we will help prevent tragedies and save lives in New York,” said State Sen. David Carlucci.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Hollis man charged with raping 14-year-old told teen, ‘I can help you get work’

New details have emerged in the case of the Hollis man accused luring a 14-year-old boy into his car in St. Albans and then allegedly raping him on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1.

Virgilio Taveras, 63, of Hillside Avenue, was arrested by detectives from the Queens Special Victims Squad two days later and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Taveras was arraigned on the Fourth of July in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with rape in the second degree, luring a child as an E felony, endangering the welfare of a child and other related crimes.