Dive Brief:
- Several automakers have quickly adapted to equipping technology in newer model vehicles to remind and encourage drivers to wear seat belts, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced earlier this month.
- A total of 62% of 2024 models tested by IIHS received a good rating, while 24% were rated marginal or poor. When the institute began the test two years ago, 17% of tested vehicles earned a good rating, while 65% were deemed either marginal or poor.
- The institute said OEM modifications, including louder seat belt reminders to encourage buckling up, can make a difference. “Automakers can boost a vehicle’s performance in this test with just some small software changes,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
Dive Insight:
IIHS began rating the seat belt reminder feature in vehicles in 2022 to encourage automakers to improve the technology to get drivers and passengers to buckle up. The institute is pushing to reduce traffic crash deaths, and more effective seat belt reminders could lead to nearly 1,500 fewer fatalities, IIHS research found.
To earn a good rating from IIHS, vehicles must have an audible reminder lasting 90 seconds if either occupied front seat belt is unbuckled. The institute also requires that a visual and persistent audible reminder, lasting at least 30 seconds, alert the driver when a belted rear passenger unbuckles is also a requirement.
Some automakers have taken additional steps including equipping vehicles with audible alerts that don’t stop until all occupants are buckled up, IIHS said.
“This rapid progress represents a big win,” Harkey said. “Making sure everybody uses their seat belt on every trip is a simple way to save lives.”
Eighteen vehicles with seat belt reminders that previously fell short earned IIHS’ good rating for their latest models. These vehicles include the Acura MDX, Ford Escape, Ford Expedition, Ford Maverick, Honda CR-V, Honda HR-V, Honda Odyssey, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Nissan Altima, Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota Corolla hatchback, Toyota Corolla sedan, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma and Volvo XC40.
Eight models were previously rated poor, which means they only included a brief reminder for the driver seat, IIHS said. Seven more were rated marginal due to reminders that weren’t long enough or lacked adequate volume, while three others were rated acceptable for meeting front-row seating requirements but not for the second row.
IIHS found that a persistent reminder more effectively encouraged part-time seat belt users to buckle up than a minimal reminder. The feature was also just as effective as a speed-limiting interlock that kept a vehicle’s speed under 15 mph unless the driver was wearing a seat belt, according to the institute.
“We found that an audible reminder that lasts at least 90 seconds increased belt use by around 30%,” David Kidd, an IIHS senior research scientist who developed the institute's seat belt reminder rating program, said in the release. “That means we could save almost 1,600 lives a year if every vehicle on the road was equipped with a good-rated system.
