WHO argued that being buckled up helps to reduce the risk of death and serious injuries among rear seat passengers by 25%.

Several countries have made the use of seat belts mandatory in vehicles, such as France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Portugal since 1970s; Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Poland, Russia and Italy since the 1980s; and China in 1993. Likewise, the province of Ontario in Canada and the State of New York in the United States since 1976 and 1984, respectively.

However, there are still many nations that still have to enact adequate legislation, requiring drivers and passengers to be buckled up both in the front and rear seats, and requesting stricter enforcement.

About 1.35 million people have passed away each year on the roads, 93% of them in developing countries, according to statistics from the UN health agency.

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