(5MinNewsBreak.com) – Once again expanding its reach in a new shocker, the Biden administration’s Department of Transportation is mandating that by September 2027, all newly manufactured cars must include rear seat belt reminder systems.
See the tweet below!
This rule will require your vehicle to nag about seat belts for both front and rear passengers.
Starting from September 2027, passenger vehicles, including trucks and buses (except school buses), must have rear-seat belt warning systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized this rule just this past week, promising that compliance with this rule is expected to save 50 lives and prevent 500 injuries annually.
It’s a clear example of government stepping in to play nanny with hopes of increasing rear seat belt use rates, which linger below front seat usage levels at 82% compared to 92% in 2022.
All of these regulations mandate visual and audio warnings for rear and driver seat belts.
From 2026, these warnings will last at least a minute visually and at least 30 seconds audibly unless the rear seats are determined to be unoccupied.
Currently, seat belt warnings are required only for the driver’s seat, but this new mandate will extend to front outboard passengers as well.
Specifically, the rule excludes front-center seats due to cost-effectiveness concerns, demonstrating that even overly watchful bureaucrats retain a limit on their spending.
Adding another layer of compliance, this regulation modifies Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which originally required seat belt functionality for driver seats in 1968.
This move aligns with a broader National Roadway Safety Strategy aiming for zero deaths on U.S. roads.
“Wearing a seat belt is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent injury and death in a vehicle crash,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv said.
“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,” he added.
Opponents of these new mandates argue that the federal overreach could burden automakers and lead to higher costs for consumers.
Safety advocates are pushing for more regulations before the close of the Biden administration, urging for approval of other safety technologies like automatic emergency braking and impaired driving prevention.
NHTSA’s Chief Counsel Adam Raviv suggests these new requirements are essential steps “to make sure everyone buckles up,” reinforcing a mentality where personal accountability might be viewed as old-fashioned.
Seen as just one step of many, this is the second significant regulation from the NHTSA in recent months, with safety experts still angling for additional rules and systems.
Within the next two years, the "ding" of a seat belt reminder will be required for all seats in a vehicle, not just the driver's. Here's what to know about the new federal rule aimed at decreasing vehicle-related injuries and deaths. https://t.co/WYXvVFDrIr
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) December 18, 2024
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