(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — All vehicle passengers will be obliged to wear seat belts on all roads starting later this week, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
“The amended Road Traffic Law mandating the wearing of seat belts by all vehicle occupants will go into effect on Friday,” the agency said.
Business vehicles and ordinary cars will be subject to the law, but vehicles without seat belts, such as city buses, will be excluded from it, the agency said.
The fitting of car seats for infants under six will be compulsory as well.
Violators of the law will be fined 30,000 won (US$26.99), and the penalty will increase to 60,000 won for those under 13.
South Korea introduced the mandatory wearing of seat belts by all vehicle passengers on highways and motorways in 1990.
According to a 2017 OECD report, the country’s seat belt use rate stood at 88.5 percent in front seats and 30.2 percent in rear ones, compared with 97 percent and 96 percent in Australia and 98.6 percent and 99 percent in Germany, respectively.
(Yonhap)
