The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized a rule requiring all new passenger vehicles to sound warnings if rear-seat passengers don’t fasten their seat belts, starting September 2027. The rule aims to reduce fatalities and injuries by ensuring seat belt use.
Key features of the rule include:
* Sound alerts for rear-seat passengers who don’t wear seat belts
* Enhanced warnings for front-seat passengers who don’t fasten their belts
* Audio and visual warnings for driver’s seats with increased duration
The NHTSA estimates that this rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries. The new rule applies to passenger cars, trucks, buses (excluding school buses), and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds.
According to the agency, rear-seat passengers consistently use seat belts at a lower rate than front passengers, with only about 82% using them in 2022. To address this issue, the rule aims to increase seat belt use among all passengers.
The new rule is part of several significant regulations from NHTSA in recent months, including bolstering five-star auto safety ratings for driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection. Safety advocates are urging the Department of Transportation to finalize more rules, such as automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and impaired driving prevention technology.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nhtsa-rear-seat-belt-safety-1c0e6cc4e50f4edf9c0b8c24b1c0da07