Officials urge passengers to buckle up

Zhang Suoqing

Buckling up in the car lowers the risk of death or serious injury by 45 percent for drivers and front seat passengers, officials told a recent health lecture promoting traffic accident prevention in the city.

For rear seat passengers the risk drops by 25 percent, and 75 percent when it comes to small injuries, local traffic police officers said while reiterating that road traffic accidents are the major cause of death for people between 15 and 29 years of age worldwide.

Shanghai’s new traffic laws have stated that people can face up to 50 yuan (US$7.69) fine if they drive without buckling up.

Education on road traffic accident prevention is a major task for local authorities this year.