NHTSA could make seatbelts mandatory for rear passengers

The new proposal also requires vehicles to feature a visual warning that lasts 60 seconds after vehicle startup.

According to reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a new rule that could make seatbelt reminders for rear seats of new vehicles mandatory.

NHTSA states that while seatbelt reminders are mandatory for drivers, they aren't required for other passengers. However, by formalising the rules and implementing them in more seats, they could have a better impact on vehicle occupant safety. They estimate that the implementation of the new proposed rule could help save up to 100 lives and prevent 300 non-fatal injuries per year. The agency also claims that the risk of fatality for rear passengers wearing seatbelts is reduced by 55% in cars and by 74% in trucks and vans.

Ann Carlson, NHTSA Acting Administrator, stated, "Wearing a seat belt is one of the most effective ways to prevent injury and death in a crash. In 2021, almost 43,000 people lost their lives on America’s roads, and half of those in vehicles were unbelted. This proposed rule can help reduce that number by getting more to buckle up."

The new proposal also requires vehicles to feature a visual warning that lasts 60 seconds after vehicle startup. There will also be an audiovisual change-of-status warning for 30 seconds if the rear seatbelts are unbuckled when the vehicle is still in operation. Automakers though would be given the freedom to adjust the warning signal characteristics. The rules are said to apply to US passenger cars, trucks, buses and other multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross weight of 4,536 kg or less.

Source: CarScoops