By Steven Symes 
Just in time for Christmas, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided to add more seat belt warning annoyances to your future car. It’s almost like there’s an incentive for regulators to come up with new ways to make driving more unpleasant while saying it’s worth it to save just one life.
Decide who’s at fault in this U-turn multi-car pileup.
Actually, in its press release announcing the move, NHTSA says it estimates the new seat belt warning rule will save about 50 lives a year. That supposedly will be accomplished by adding seat belt warnings for rear seat passengers, plus enhancing the already insufferable warnings for the driver and front passenger.
That’s right, the annoying chiming sound is about to get worse. Exactly how worse or what the new warnings will entail isn’t spelled out by NHTSA, yet. If they’re not touting the new method, it’s probably because we’re all going to hate it.
After all, the chime thing that increases in tempo when your seat belt isn’t on can be incredibly annoying. Then there’s the flashing light on the dash, not so annoying but it’s part of the reminder system. We’re assuming either the audible warning is going to get louder or higher in pitch or the visual warning will be more of an in your face sort of thing, maybe both.
Then there’s the backseat belt reminder. Will that be like how the front seats reminder is now? Or will that start off on the annoying new level we’ll get for the front seats? It’s so great wondering what new methods of annoyance federal regulators are devising for our daily lives, all to keep up safe. The benevolence is much appreciated.
The new rule for enhanced front seat belt warnings goes into effect for automakers on September 1, 2026, while the rear seat warning starts on September 1, 2027.
Image via Volvo Cars
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