New York's New Seat Belt Law Takes Effect Nov. 1

NEW YORK — Beginning Nov. 1, New York state law will require everyone in a car to wear a seat belt.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in August that mandates anyone over the age of 16 must wear a seat belt if they are sitting in the back seat.

That is different from what is currently in the law — that those 16 or older are required to buckle up only if they are in the front seats. Every child under 16 must use a safety restraint anywhere in a vehicle.

When he signed the bill, Cuomo said it was an effort to build on his father's leadership in being the first state in the nation to pass a seat belt law.

"Now we are building upon this legacy and helping to create a safer and stronger Empire State for all," he said.

According to information from the state Department of Motor Vehicles, when the first mandatory seat belt law went into effect in 1984, only about 16 percent of people buckled up. More than two decades later, in 2008, compliance was up to 89 percent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the first 30 years of Americans' lives. Data from 2009 shows crashes killed more than 33,000 people and injured another 2.2 million.

More than half the people killed in car crashes were not using seat belts.

"Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent death and serious injury in a crash," the CDC says.