On the 16th, the province conducted a special campaign to address the issue of passengers not wearing seat belts on public buses. In Jinan, traffic police carried out inspections on buses during peak hours. The findings were alarming: 90% of the passengers were found without using their seat belts.
The operation started early in the morning at the Jinan Steel Inspection Station on North Industrial Road. Officers from the Licheng Traffic Police Brigade's Steel Squadron checked several buses passing through. At 9:30 a.m., a bus traveling from the East Long-distance Bus Station to Zhangqiuing Family House was stopped for a routine check. The bus was registered to carry 33 passengers but only had 16 on board. Although all safety equipment met regulations, officers noticed that most passengers were not wearing seat belts.
A reporter counted the passengers and found only five out of 16 had their seat belts fastened. When asked why they weren’t wearing them, one man replied casually, “It’s too hard to tie.â€
Traffic police also inspected another bus heading to Zouping from Jinan. It was fully loaded with 33 passengers, yet none of them had their seat belts on. Many passengers seem indifferent to the importance of seat belts, considering it an unnecessary precaution. Further checks on three other medium-distance coaches revealed the same trend — 90% of passengers were not using seat belts.
Zhang Chengbin, a coach from the Licheng Traffic Police Brigade’s Vehicle Management Unit, emphasized the life-saving role of seat belts. He explained that these buses lack a full steel frame structure and can easily deform in a collision. Even if the vehicle is damaged, seat belts are essential for passenger safety.
“Passengers often lack awareness about their own safety,†Zhang said. “They tend to feel lucky and ignore small details.†Unlike drivers, who can be fined for not wearing seat belts, passengers are not subject to penalties. Without strict enforcement, the responsibility falls entirely on individual awareness.
According to Article 51 of China’s Road Traffic Safety Law, drivers and passengers must use seat belts when a motor vehicle is in motion. However, there are no specific legal consequences for passengers who fail to comply. As one Jinan traffic officer noted, “We can only persuade them; there’s no legal basis for punishment.â€
This incident highlights the urgent need for greater public education and stricter enforcement to ensure passenger safety on buses.
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