[astrodex]

The draft notification by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways mandates all cars should have rear seat belt alarms. I, like many other BHPians, was happy to hear the news of having more safety requirements which could save lives while not increasing the vehicle cost significantly. But, alas, I have been in for a rude surprise with the implementation!

The car manufacturers in their infinite wisdom has implemented the change in the cheapest way possible. They have rear seat belt warning, complete with the loud chime that goes on for up to a minute, but without the weight sensor. It is not possible to push in the seatbelt each time you exit the rear seat. Also, it is not possible to remember or remind you passengers to do it each time. So invariably, if the rear seats are used, the seat belts stay unhooked and the next time you start driving you hear the dreaded beep. And unlike the passenger side, you can't lean over to buckle them up. You have to literally stop the car, go out and buckle them back in.

Initially I saw some cars come with this feature and assumed it was a stopgap measure until they put in the weight sensors. But having brought two new vehicles which were both brand new releases, the Maruti Jimny and the Tata Punch EV, I am disappointed that this is now the defacto option.

I have lost count of how many times I have cursed and waited for the chime to stop when someone forgot to buckle the rear seat. Invariably I forget it the next time I get in the car and endure it again until I give up, stop, curse some more and hook all of them up.

How many of you guys have experienced this? I asked at the dealerships and they say that this 'feature' is one that they get the most complaints from repeat car buyers. The Maruti person even suggested that I unhook the sensors to stop the sound. I brought this up in a car meetup discussion and many people went livid, which means I am not the only one having this gripe.

I completely understand the importance of safety and that a little inconvenience is not a reason for reneging on it. But, when u get into the car, maybe have the news on the radio, drive into the busy morning traffic and it starts chiming away for the rear buckles that you cannot reach unless you are a gymnist, you have every reason to find way to disable the darn feature.


I plan to have this disabled on my Jimny the next time I take it in. I wonder if the same can be done on the Punch.

[bijims]

It's poor implementation and cost-cutting from manufacturers and nothing else, they don't want to spend the extra money on weight sensors and to abide by the rules, just put the seatbelt alarm in place. It is definitely a measure adopted in poor taste by the manufacturers, not looking at the difficulites it poses.

[CentreOfGravity]

Absolutely agree with your sir. There are some feature implementations that are just about tolerable, and then there are these absolute idiocies which are simply unpardonable. Maruti started this senseless trend, and that's where I thought this would be limited to. But no, Tata decided that cost cutting cannot be completely removed from their DNA and so they jumped on the bandwagon too. It is these small issues (niggles is what I'd call them) which greatly tarnish the image of a brand, no matter how brilliant their cars are. Although I (thankfully) don't have a car with rear seat belt chimes (I act as chimes for passengers), I perfectly understand the pain owners of these cars go through.

The problem is that every business organisation is trying to "pass" a certain rule/test, and not pass with flying colours. If the rule mentions that rear seat belt alarms should be made mandatory, that's all that companies will do and won't bother to make the system complete with weight sensors. They'll try to find loopholes in the rule. Reminds me of the time when Tata Motors claimed that their cars have "symmetrical crash test worthiness", which means that the co-driver has the same amount of protection as the driver in a crash! Ideally, that's something that should be standard, and not something you'd brag about! What is the message being conveyed in this situation?! Tata is doing a good job on the safety front, no doubt, but does this mean that safety for the co-driver is compromised in other cars because the regulations aren't strict enough? You gotta be kidding me!

[AJ56]

I’m slightly confused, you’re saying the rear seat belt alarm goes off even with no one in the back? That’s downright ridiculous.

[tbppjpr]

Biggest drawback of this cheap seatbelt alarm is the risk of getting habitual of it which will result into ignoring it and keep using the rear seats without seatbelts in the long run.

Yet another example of half thought rule implemented without paying attention on the purpose.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by astrodex

I plan to have this disabled on my Jimny the next time I take it in. I wonder if the same can be done on the Punch.

I purchased my Grand Vitara in June and it is a May 24 manufactured vehicle.

There are no audible seat belt alarms for rear seatbelts. Only for front seatbelts are the alarms audible.

For rear seatbelts only the indication (red coloured) is shown on the central instrument console in case seat belts are not buckled.


Perhaps Maruti has made this change recently. But still it's a cheaper alternative to having weight sensors.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by DCEite

I purchased my Grand Vitara in June and it is a May 24 manufactured vehicle.

There are no audible seat belt alarms for rear seatbelts. Only for front seatbelts are the alarms audible.

For rear seatbelts only the indication (red coloured) is shown on the central instrument console in case seat belts are not buckled.

Perhaps Maruti has made this change recently. But still it's a cheaper alternative to having weight sensors.

Can you try buckling and unbuckling a seatbelt on an empty rear seat and check if it starts beeping?

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by AJ56

I’m slightly confused, you’re saying the rear seat belt alarm goes off even with no one in the back? That’s downright ridiculous.

Yep. Initially thought it was just Maruti cost cutting in their cheaper models. But looks like it was adopted across the board.

Like, the rule has no use whatsoever.

The rear seatbelts are kept buckled in all the time, people just slid into the rear seats, just like in old days. Compliance for the manufacturer. Intention of the rule.

[PreludeSH]

Cars do provide a button to turn off the warning similar to air bag off buttons on some cars. Maybe they could provide one if the driver in his full knowledge of not having anyone seated on rear seat can turn it off. It should be used every time you start the car.

What would be the cost addition of provide a load sensor ?

[ron178]

Originally Posted by DicKy

The rear seatbelts are kept buckled in all the time, people just slid into the rear seats, just like in old days

IMO, it would be a little worse than the old days because you would have to first unbuckle the belt before wearing it. That’s just an extra step and not something that will encourage belt use, for sure.

India’s seatbelt reminder regulation allows this kind of system, and even GNCAP uses a 2013 Euro NCAP seatbelt reminder protocol, which effectively says cars without occupant detection “must” light up but “need not” (not must not) beep unless a fastened belt is undone during the journey.

Modern Euro NCAP doesn’t award any seatbelt reminder points to cars without occupant detection (anyway GSR II mandates a basic rear seatbelt reminder in Europe).

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by ron178

IMO, it would be a little worse than the old days because you would have to first unbuckle the belt before wearing it. That’s just an extra step and not something that will encourage belt use, for sure.

Yep, but in the end, seat belt is not being worn.

If they had weight sensors and annoying continous beeps, it would make it easier for us to convince rear seat passengers to wear them. Right now it is harder to convince especially elders. Far easier to force front passengers to buckle up as fines are being implemented strictly.

Offtopic, my pet peeve. Even if rear passengers wear seatbelts, the seatbelts are designed in such a poor way that it would end up rubbing the side of the neck, especially collarless dress. Even for people of moderate height.

[Gupts007]

Absolutely shameless move by Maruti. Nowhere in the world you would see a car manufacturer do that.
Sometimes it boggles my mind, what some of these companies can do to maximize their profits, totally disregarding common sense and ignoring the continuous problems the buyers will face.

One huge downside of having to keep seatbelts clicked in all the time is that the buckle is always in a stretched position and will the thing it is attached to, will get bent and twisted permanently.

I noticed this when a driver on my Baleno would always keep the driver's seat belt clicked in and would slide under it each time he was in the seat.

[dhanushs]

To be honest, when I first drove the Jimny, then I thought this problem was a one off and only limited to the vehicle I drove.

Further when I understood all Jimnys had this issue I thought it was some retro fitment only on the Jimnys to comply the norms in India.

Now, when I see even other India specific cars have this issue, I'm just speechless at the utter lack of responsibility towards safety by OEMs. Even the implementation part, looks like no one has validated the feature. Further more, I'm wondering if the regulatory authority checking these vehicles have commented on the same?

[throttleAddict]

Originally Posted by ron178

Can you try buckling and unbuckling a seatbelt on an empty rear seat and check if it starts beeping?

Only on doing this there are loud beeps on my 2024 i20 N-Line, by default it does not disturb you

[mm_shen]

This is exactly what happened when we took delivery of the S-presso. I am used to seat-belt alarm beeping only when there are passengers in the seat. I am all alone in the car, my seatbelt is buckled up. Still I hear the blaring alarm which won't stop.

I drive back to dealership and tell the Sales guy there is some electrical issue in the car. The seat belt alarm is blaring even if I am buckled in. Instead of explaining that load sensors are not given anymore and the alarm will blare even if there is no one, the sales guy true to his nature, ends up dismissing the issue me "Saar, you drive, alarm will stop automatically in sometime".

I become furious at this point. I blurt out "What kind of logic is this? Ignore the alarm and drive. That is your solution! Are the Maruti engineers fools to give an alarm if we need to ignore it?"

By the time, the manager came rushing and explained that there are no load sensors in the car seats and the alarm will blare irrespective of people sitting or not. He buckled up all the seatbelts and asked me to drive with an assurance to come back if something is still amiss.

I though this was only S-presso cost cutting as it is a small segment car with very small price tag. "Alarmed" to hear that they are doing this across all price segments!