New York State has recently strengthened the enforcement of passengers wearing seat belts in vehicles to combat the phenomenon of passengers not wearing seat belts. Many Chinese people are still unaware that not only front seat occupants, but also rear seat adult passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. In a recent incident, Mr. Lin, a Chinese resident in Flushing, was fined $138 on the spot by the police for not wearing a seat belt while seated in the back of a minibus on his way to a casino.
Mr. Lin explained that on March 25th of this year, he took a 7-passenger minibus from Flushing to a casino. Apart from the driver and front passenger, none of the 5 passengers in the back were wearing seat belts, including himself.
As the vehicle approached Resorts World Casino in Queens, the driver was stopped by traffic police for not stopping at a “stop sign” at an intersection. The police officer peeked into the car and noticed that none of the passengers in the back were wearing seat belts. They were asked to provide their identification, which caused confusion among the passengers. Eventually, fines of $138 were issued to the 5 passengers in the back.
In the midst of discussion in the vehicle, some passengers exclaimed, “Who wears seat belts in the back seat? We have never worn them and were not aware of the strict law requirement.” Some even jokingly mentioned, “We’ll just win back that $138 at the casino later.”
Mr. Lin wryly remarked that he was not going to the casino to gamble but to learn about the casino dealer job, as he was prohibited from gambling by regulations. He continued to receive reminders to pay the fine at home, eventually deciding to pay the penalty.
In fact, New York State has long required all vehicle occupants to wear seat belts. Since November 2019, the law has been extended to include rear seat adult passengers. Regardless of age and seating position, all vehicle occupants must buckle up. Currently, New York is a “Primary Enforcement State,” meaning law enforcement can pull over a vehicle and issue a fine solely for not wearing a seat belt, even if no other violation is observed. *The state launches a strict enforcement campaign against non-seat belt use
Recently, New York State has been intensifying relevant enforcement measures. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) announced the initiation of the “Buckle Up New York” statewide enforcement operation from May 18th to May 31st. Law enforcement agencies across the state will increase patrols and seat belt checks.
Official data indicates that in the past five years, approximately 200 people died annually in vehicle accidents while not wearing seat belts in New York State. Statistics show that wearing seat belts reduces the risk of injury in accidents by more than 20%, while the chances of severe injury for those not wearing seat belts increase fivefold.
Authorities are reminding passengers, including taxi, ride-sharing, and minibus passengers, that rear seat occupants must also wear seat belts in compliance with the law. Failure to do so may result in fines.