New seat belt rule requires rear seat warnings: What you should know

Within the next two years, the “ding” of a seat belt reminder will be required for all seats in a vehicle, not just the driver.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday approved a rule requiring seat belt warnings for rear and front passenger seats, as well as enhanced warnings for driver seats.

The aim of the regulation is to prevent vehicle-related injuries and deaths. According to the rule, there are an average of 822 fatalities and more than 11,000 injuries each year due to unrestrained rear seat passengers. Implementing the rule will prevent more than 500 injuries and 50 deaths each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a news release.

The rule amends Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which went into effect in 1968. Although vehicle manufacturers had installed seat belts before, the federal government mandated the installation of seat belts for driver seats at this time.

“Although seat belt use has improved over decades, we can still do more to ensure everyone buckles up. “These new requirements will help increase seat belt use, particularly for rear seat passengers, by better reminding vehicle occupants to buckle up,” Adam Raviv, chief adviser for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said in a news release.

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Here’s what you should know about the new rule.

When will the new rule be implemented?

Front seat belt warning systems must comply with the new regulation by September 1, 2026, and rear seat belt warning systems must comply with the new regulation by September 1, 2027, the regulation states. Vehicle manufacturers are cordially invited to comply with the new regulation before these dates.

Which vehicles does the new regulation apply to?

The rule applies to passenger cars, trucks, most buses (not school buses) and general-purpose passenger vehicles with a rated weight of 10,000 pounds or less.

What will the rear seat belt audible warning signals be?

Under the new rule, vehicles must display visual and audible warnings when starting to inform the driver of the status of the rear seat belts. The visual warning must last at least 60 seconds and the audible warning must last at least 30 seconds. If the vehicle can detect that the rear seats are unoccupied, no warnings are required.

Passenger seat belt warnings are required

Although most vehicles manufactured in 2022 or later have seat belt warnings for passengers, the new rule requires them.

What improvements are needed in driver seat belt warnings?

Although visual and audible seat belt warnings have long been used for driver seats, the new regulation requires them to be longer. A visual warning is required when a vehicle’s ignition is on, the seat is occupied and the seat belt is not used. The acoustic warning consists of two phases. The first must last at least 30 seconds. The second phase must be activated when the seat is occupied, the seat belt is not fastened and the vehicle speed is at least 6.2 miles per hour, the rule states.

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