I can’t consider I’m scripting 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 automobile occupant fatalities in 2022 have been individuals who weren’t carrying a seat belt. It merely boggles my thoughts at any time when I see of us driving or using in a automobile with out carrying their seat belt, it’s like enjoying Russian roulette however in a a lot much less badass means. Hoping to make a optimistic influence, 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 plenty of legalese, so I’ll do my greatest to make it attention-grabbing and simply consumable. At present, all automobiles are required to show a visible seat belt reminder that’s at the least 60 seconds lengthy, and an audible element that have to be at the least 4 seconds lengthy. There is no such thing as a authorized requirement at the moment 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 driving force of the standing of the rear seat belts, which beforehand had no federal requirement. It additionally requires an audio-visual warning at any time when a rear seat occupant unbuckles their seat belt whereas the automobile is in a ahead or reverse gear, and that warning should final for at the least 30 seconds, or till the belt is re-fastened.
For entrance seat occupants, it’s now federally mandated that each the driving 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 aren’t required to be monitored. Driver’s seats should now be geared up with longer length warnings, together with visible warning that activates when a automobile 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 at the least 30 seconds until the belt is mounted earlier than then, and the second part should activate and stay energetic at any time when the seat is occupied and the seat belt just isn’t in use.
Automakers are required to adjust to these laws on or earlier than September 1, 2026, so there may be loads of time for them to implement the mandatory techniques. NHTSA anticipates these laws 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.