Who is responsible for ensuring all passengers are wearing seat belts in a vehicle?

The responsibility for ensuring that all passengers are wearing seat belts primarily falls on the driver. This is rooted in traffic safety laws and regulations that recognize the driver as the individual in control of the vehicle and, consequently, responsible for the safety of all occupants. The driver must ensure compliance with seat belt laws to promote safety not just for passengers, but also for themselves, as who is driving.

While each passenger has a personal responsibility to wear their seat belt, it is the driver's duty to actively ensure that everyone is buckled up before the vehicle departs. This is especially relevant in the context of military and civilian regulations under the Okinawa Status of Forces Agreement, where maintaining safety standards is crucial. The vehicle owner has responsibilities, but in the context of a moving vehicle, it is the driver's active role that is most significant.