Who among us hasn't ridden in the back seat of a friend's car without a seatbelt on, or allowed a passenger in the back to go without their belt? If you're old enough, you may even remember a time when your car didn't even have seat belts in the back!
Many adults believe they don't need to wear a belt because the rear seat is safer, according to a recent survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. However, passengers are more likely to be killed in accidents when they are not wearing a seatbelt, regardless of their seating position, and drivers are more than twice as likely to die when the passenger behind them is unrestrained.
The shocking result is caused by the passenger being thrown forward into the back of the driver's seat. In an IIHS crash simulation at 35 mph, the unrestrained test dummy hit the driver's seat with enough force to collapse it forward, making the airbag less effective, and potentially causing the driver's head to strike the steering wheel.
Next time you give your friends a ride, and they say they don't need a seat belt, show them this video.