Seat belt legislation requires the fitting of seat belts to motor vehicles and the wearing of seat belts

by motor vehicle occupants. In Australia, the use of seat belts by all vehicle passengers is compulsory. The states of Victoria and South Australia introduced a requirement for belt anchorages in 1964, although not for the belts themselves. In 1970, the use of seat belts by vehicle occupants was made compulsory in the state of Victoria, followed by the rest of Australia and some other countries during the 1970s and 1980s. Seatbelts are not required for bus occupants, reversing drivers, and those driving some slow moving vehicles. In the United Kingdom, seat belts must be worn at all times if they are fitted to a vehicle. Passengers may be exempt from wearing a seat belt for different reasons. Since September 18, 2006, children travelling in the UK must also use an appropriate child seat in addition to the standard seat belt, unless they are 12 years or over and/or have reached at least 135 cm(53 in) in height. In India, all cars manufactured after March 25, 1994 are equipped with front seat belts. The rule was extended for rear seats in 2002. The usage of seat belts is to be implemented by the respective states with most states making seat belt usage for front seat passengers mandatory in 2002. Older vehicles that did not have seat belts originally were exempted. Vehicle, in which seat-belts have been provided, it shall be ensured that the driver, and the person seated in the front seat or the persons occupying front facing rear seats, as the case may be, wear the seat belts while the vehicle is in motion.

Rule 125 (1) requires the manufacturer of every motor vehicle other than motor cycles and three wheelers of engine capacity not exceeding 500 cc, shall equip every such vehicle with a seat belt for the driver and for the person occupying the front seat.

Rule 125 (1A) requires the manufacturer of every motor vehicle that is used for carriage of passengers and their luggage and comprising no more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat, shall equip it with a seat belt for a person occupying the front facing rear seat. 01. The provisions in Sub-rule (1) of rule 125 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 stipulate that from 1994 onwards every manufacturer of Motor Vehicles other than Motor- Cycles and 3-Wheelers of engine capacity not exceeding 500 CC shall equip every such vehicle with a seat belt for the driver and the person occupying the front seat. 02. Further as per sub-rule (2) of the 138 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, the driver and the person seated on the front seat of the motor vehicle are by law required to wear the seat belts, while the vehicle is in motion. 03. Any person contravening these provisions of law and not wearing the seat belt as required shall be punished under Section 177 of the motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Not only is it important to wear a seat belt but also it must be worn correctly to help reduce chances of injury or death. The shoulder belt should be worn as closely fitted to the body as possible, over the shoulder, never under the arm (as this may crush ribs and injure internal organs.)