South Korea's traffic authority said Tuesday it plans to revise local regulations by year's end to make it mandatory for all passengers in automobiles to wear seat belts on local roads as well, in line with its efforts to reduce casualties from road accidents.

Only those in the front seats are required to buckle up under existing regulations, with the exception being while on highways and expressways, where all passengers are already obliged to always wear seat belts.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport said it will seek a revision of the law by the end of this year, and roll out another handful of policies, including limiting the maximum speed to 30 kilometers per hour in residential areas.

The government also plans to expand safety education for senior citizens as more drivers are getting older in the country.

South Korea has struggled to reduce the number of deaths incurred from traffic accidents, and the figure reached 4,621 in 2015, an all-time low.

The ministry added it plans to lower the number of accident deaths per 10,000 cars, which stood at 1.9 last year, to 1.6 in 2017. (Yonhap)