It wasn't until 1983 that it became compulsory for front seat passengers to
use seatbelts, and road safety campaigners have marked the 25th anniversary
of this important law.  Right from the start, compliance rates were high
for front seat drivers, with over nine out of 10 drivers and front seat
passengers using their belts.
Yet when the law was extended to include rear seat passengers in 1991, the
take up wasn't nearly as good ­  and even now, more than a third of adults
still decline to "belt up in the back". Technically, if your rear seat
passenger is over the age of 14, it is their own responsibility to ensure
they put the belt on.
Why they choose to ignore the belt is a bit of a mystery;  perhaps
teenagers think it doesn't look "cool" to put on the seat belt.  Or they
think "we're not going far, I won't bother", only pulling on the harness if
they are preparing for a long motorway journey. Rear seat belt compliance
is still an issue, particularly among young adults.
When children stop using their booster seats, and start to "clunk click"
for themselves, that's a good idea to check the condition of the seat belt
itself.  If it is frayed or worn at all, it should be replaced. Give the
belt a sharp tug to check that the inertia reel is still effective. Then
start to build into your "cockpit drill" (the safety checks you do before
you actually drive off) a look behind to check that your rear seat
passengers have actually put their belts on. If your passengers (of any
age) argue it is their choice whether or not to wear the seat belt, you
will find that your counter argument ­ that it's your choice whether or not
to start the car! ­ is pretty effective too.