U.S. auto safety regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Monday that it has finalized a rule requiring new passenger vehicles to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers do not use a seat belt starting in Sept. 2027.
What Happened: The rule also requires enhanced warnings if front seat belts aren’t fastened, the agency said, while adding that it expects the new rule to prevent over 500 injuries and save about 50 lives per year once fully implemented. The new rule applies to passenger cars, trucks, buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds.
Previously, the rule mandated a seat belt warning only for the driver’s seat.
However, now, manufacturers need to issue enhanced seat belt warnings if front seat passengers are not strapped in starting from Sept. 1, 2026, and rear seat belt warnings starting Sept. 1, 2027.
Why It Matters: "While seat belt use has improved for decades, there's still more we can do to make sure everyone buckles up. These new requirements will help to increase seat belt use, especially for rear seat passengers, by enhancing reminders for vehicle occupants to buckle up," NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv said. Passengers sitting in the front seats are more likely to don a seat belt than those in the rear seats, according to NHTSA.
Seat belt warning systems use both visual and audible signals to urge passengers to wear seat belts. As per the agency, about half of all passenger vehicle occupants who died in crashes in 2022 were not strapped in.
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