IIHS Introduces Seat Belt Reminder Test, Only Two Models Manage To Get A 'Good' Rating | Carscoops carscoops
, a persistent reminder is much more effective at getting them to buckle up than a short, quiet reminder. Indeed, the institute finds that better alerts could equate to a 34 percent increase in seat belt use among those who don’t routinely buckle up. According to its estimates, that could save as many as 1,500 lives per year., especially in the front seat. But the small number who don’t translates into a lot of fatalities,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
In order to earn a “Good” rating, a vehicle’s warning chime has to be loud enough to hear over the cabin and it must last 90 seconds if a front-row seat is unbuckled or 30 seconds for the back seat. Any vehicle without a warning light for the second row is immediately disqualified from a “Good” rating.could likely elevate them from a “Poor” rating to an “Acceptable” rating, the IIHS suggests, and the benefits would be meaningful.
“Our research shows that effective seat belt reminders can also save lives by getting those who aren’t diligent about belt use to buckle up,” said Harkey. “These new ratings are designed to push manufacturers to realize that potential.”