I can’t believe I’m writing this in the year 2024, but in case y’all forgot, seat belts save lives. It’s pretty black and white: Over half of all vehicle occupant fatalities in 2022 were people who weren’t wearing a seat belt. It simply boggles my mind whenever I see folks driving or riding in a car without wearing their seat belt, it’s like playing Russian roulette but in a much less badass way. Hoping to make a positive impact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized a new rule that requires all new cars to be equipped with rear seat belt warnings and stricter front seat warning requirements. The new law goes into effect on September 1, 2026.
As with any government process, this includes a lot of legalese, so I’ll do my best to make it interesting and easily consumable. Currently, all cars are required to display a visual seat belt reminder that’s at least 60 seconds long, and an audible component that must be at least four seconds long. There is no legal requirement currently in place requiring automakers to monitor any other seat, though many automakers have included visual and audible warnings for the passenger seat and for the rear seats, too.
The new rule requires vehicles to monitor the rear seats for occupants and provide a visual warning on startup to inform the driver of the status of the rear seat belts, which previously had no federal requirement. It also requires an audio-visual warning whenever a rear seat occupant unbuckles their seat belt while the vehicle is in a forward or reverse gear, and that warning must last for at least 30 seconds, or until the belt is re-fastened.
For front seat occupants, it’s now federally mandated that both the driver and passenger seat monitor belt use. Now, both driver and passenger seats must be equipped with a seat belt warning system, though center seats are not required to be monitored. Driver’s seats must now be equipped with longer duration warnings, including visual warning that turns on when a vehicle is started and stays on until the seat belt is buckled. It is also now required to have a two-phase audible warning that lasts for at least 30 seconds unless the belt is fastened before then, and the second phase must activate and remain active whenever the seat is occupied and the seat belt is not in use.
Automakers are required to comply with these regulations on or before September 1, 2026, so there is plenty of time for them to implement the necessary systems. NHTSA anticipates these regulations to save around 50 lives annually, and prevent nearly 400 other injuries annually. So as a reminder, please just wear your seat belt.