Back-seat passengers in Ghana can face legal consequences for failing to wear seat belts, with the country’s road traffic law making it an offence for adults to travel without the safety restraint, whether they sit in the front or rear of a moving vehicle.

MTTD Officer Amankwaa has reminded motorists and passengers that seat belt requirements do not apply only to drivers and front-seat occupants, warning that passengers seated at the back are also expected to comply with the law.

The warning comes as road safety authorities continue to urge road users to take basic precautions to reduce the risk of serious injuries and deaths in road crashes.

Under Section 13 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), as amended by the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153), a person aged 18 or above commits an offence by driving a motor vehicle or sitting in the front or rear seat of a moving vehicle without wearing a seat belt.

The law provides for a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, upon summary conviction. The provision expressly covers adult passengers in the back seat, leaving no general exemption simply because a person is not sitting beside the driver.

The Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which replaced the 2012 regulations, also address seat belt use under Regulation 144.

The legal provisions mean that passengers cannot assume they are exempt from seat belt requirements simply because they are travelling in the rear of a vehicle. However, the existence of an offence does not mean every person found without a seat belt will automatically be arrested; enforcement must follow the applicable legal procedures.

The warning also places responsibility on passengers to take their own safety seriously rather than relying solely on drivers to observe road safety rules.

Seat belts help restrain vehicle occupants during a collision or sudden stop, reducing the risk of being thrown forward or striking parts of the vehicle’s interior. Their protective value is not limited to the driver or front-seat passenger.

Motorists and passengers are therefore being encouraged to buckle up before a journey begins and ensure that available seat belts are properly fastened, regardless of where they sit.

For back-seat passengers, the message is straightforward: wearing a seat belt is not merely a safety recommendation but a legal requirement under Ghana’s road traffic law.