American vehicles will require alarms when rear seat passengers are not buckled up

Starting in September 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the US will have to give a warning if rear seat passengers are not restrained.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts are not fastened.

The agency estimates the new rule will save 50 lives a year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect, according to a statement.

The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks and buses, except for school buses and multi-purpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds.

Before the rule, seat belt warnings were required only for the driver’s seat.

Under the new rule, outboard front seat passengers must also receive a warning if they are not wearing their seat belts.

Center front seats will not receive a warning because NHTSA found it would not be cost effective.

The agency said most vehicles already have warnings for outboard passenger seats.

The rule also extends the duration of audio and visual warnings for the driver’s seat. The front seat rules come into effect starting September 1, 2026.

Rear-seat passengers consistently wear seat belts at a lower rate than front-seat passengers, the agency says.

In 2022, front belt usage was just under 92%, while rear usage dropped to around 82%.

According to NHTSA data, about half of the car occupants who died in crashes two years ago were not wearing seat belts.

The seat belt rule is the second major regulation to come from NHTSA in the past two months.

In November, the agency boosted its five-star safety ratings to include driver assistance technologies and pedestrian protection.

Safety advocates want the Transportation Department, which includes NHTSA, to finalize several more rules before the end of the Biden administration because President-elect Donald Trump has said he opposes new government regulations.

Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Highway Safety, urged the department to adopt automatic emergency braking for heavy trucks and technology to prevent impaired driving.