Rear seatbelt use in Malaysia drops from 20pct to 2pct in 16 years

New Straits Times

12-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: The rate of car rear seat belt use has plummeted to a mere two per cent from the 20 per cent recorded in 2009, when the regulation came into force.
The finding was made by Universiti Putra Malaysia's Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua in a recent survey.
Law, the head of UPM's Road Safety Research Centre, said the drop was believed to stem from public attitudes and weak enforcement.
"Many rear passengers assume the front seats will shield them in the event of an accident. But the reality is quite the opposite.
"During a crash, passengers in the back may tumble or be thrown about and anything can happen.
"While the public often expresses grief when seeing accidents, deaths or injuries, the sentiment typically fades within five minutes, causing people to overlook the importance of wearing seatbelts," he said.
He was speaking during an interview on the "Selamat Pagi Malaysia" programme aired on Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) today.
Rear seat belt regulations were enforced on Jan 1, 2009, under the Motor Vehicles (Seat Belt) (Amendment) Rules 2008.
Those who fail to wear front or rear seat belts can be fined up to RM2,000 or jailed for up to six months upon first conviction.
Repeat offenders face a maximum RM4,000 fine, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
Law said using a seat belt could prevent drivers and passengers from being hurled out of the vehicle during a crash and improve survival rates by three to five times.
"There have been many cases where children in the rear seats, who were not wearing seatbelts, died after colliding with their parents sitting in front.
"If you're not buckled up and a crash occurs, even if you're not thrown out of the vehicle, you'll likely collide with other passengers in the front or back.
"For example, if the passenger weighs 70kg and the vehicle is travelling at 90kph during impact, the collision force can reach up to 2,000kg.
"This is the kind of impact that causes passengers to be thrown out, and is often the reason why so many bus passengers die in accidents," he said.
He added that compliance varies between urban and rural populations.
"Older individuals, in particular, tend to dismiss the need for rear seat belts because they use village roads regularly and think it's not a problem.
"There's also a misconception that vehicle safety features are sufficient, which is misleading.
"For instance, Volvo cars are rated among the safest due to their structural strength. But this doesn't mean a Volvo occupant involved in an accident won't die.