New State laws requiring all passengers in the back seat to Buckle Up!

Almost every state has a law requiring children and adults to wear seat belts, but many of these laws have a crucial flaw: They typically don’t require adult rear passengers to buckle up.

It’s important that backseat riders wear their belts not only for their own safety but for the front passengers.

Even though seat belt use in the front seat has steadily grown over the years, lawmakers are concerned by the gap and in some instances, decline in seat belt use in the back seat.

Rear seat belt use stood at a 74 percent national average in 2008, compared with 83 percent for front-seat passengers, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 25 states and the District of Columbia require front and rear passengers to buckle up.