Its director-general Datuk Suret Singh said the suggestion would help ease the burden of those owning old vehicles from going through the hassle of fitting rear seat belts.

Datuk Suret however said the exemption did not mean they were completely let off from the ruling.

Various vehicles, depending on its model, do not come fitted with rear seat belts between the two years stated above. All vehicles after 1995 however, come with the amenity. Currently some 90 per cent of vehicles on the road come fitted with rear safety belts.

'We encourage those with old vehicles to fit rear safety belts, and we are proposing for a three-year grace period for them to get it done.'

'This is so that when the ruling is implemented they are not caught off guard as it would be unfair,' he said during a press conference at the Sungai Besi toll plaza here on Friday after distributing stickers to motorists encouraging passengers to buckle up.

He added that they were in talks with car manufacturers to help fit rear safety belts into old vehicles produced by them.

Datuk Suret also said they were proposing for a three-month grace period for enforcement officers to not issue summonses but let off offenders with just a warning.

'Once people start complying with the ruling, we estimate that the risk of heavy injuries or death can be reduced by 50 per cent.

'This translates into saving around 350 lives per year based on last year's road accident studies carried out by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros),' he said.