I can’t imagine I’m penning this within the yr 2024, however in case y’all forgot, seat belts save lives. It’s fairly black and white: Over half of all car occupant fatalities in 2022 had been individuals who weren’t sporting a seat belt. It merely boggles my thoughts each time I see people driving or driving in a automotive with out sporting their seat belt, it’s like enjoying Russian roulette however in a a lot much less badass approach. Hoping to make a constructive impression, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) finalized a brand new rule that requires all new automobiles to be geared up with rear seat belt warnings and stricter entrance seat warning necessities. The brand new regulation goes into impact on September 1, 2026.
As with every authorities course of, this consists of a variety of legalese, so I’ll do my greatest to make it attention-grabbing and simply consumable. Presently, all automobiles are required to show a visible seat belt reminder that’s not less than 60 seconds lengthy, and an audible element that have to be not less than 4 seconds lengthy. There isn’t a authorized requirement presently in place requiring automakers to watch some other seat, although many automakers have included visible and audible warnings for the passenger seat and for the rear seats, too.
The brand new rule requires autos to watch the rear seats for occupants and supply a visible warning on startup to tell the motive force of the standing of the rear seat belts, which beforehand had no federal requirement. It additionally requires an audio-visual warning each time a rear seat occupant unbuckles their seat belt whereas the car is in a ahead or reverse gear, and that warning should final for not less than 30 seconds, or till the belt is re-fastened.
For entrance seat occupants, it’s now federally mandated that each the motive force and passenger seat monitor belt use. Now, each driver and passenger seats have to be geared up with a seat belt warning system, although middle seats are usually not required to be monitored. Driver’s seats should now be geared up with longer period warnings, together with visible warning that activates when a car is began and stays on till the seat belt is buckled. It is usually now required to have a two-phase audible warning that lasts for not less than 30 seconds except the belt is fixed earlier than then, and the second section should activate and stay lively each time the seat is occupied and the seat belt isn’t in use.
Automakers are required to adjust to these rules on or earlier than September 1, 2026, so there may be loads of time for them to implement the mandatory techniques. NHTSA anticipates these rules to avoid wasting round 50 lives yearly, and forestall practically 400 different accidents yearly. In order a reminder, please simply put on your seat belt.