As Ford Authority previously reported, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently revised its seat belt reminder test, tightening its standards in an attempt to increase seat belt use among drivers. As a result, the vast majority of new vehicles tested by the IIHS recently have failed this tougher test, including the 2022 Ford Escape back in March, the 2022 Ford Explorer in April, and the 2022 Ford Maverick earlier this month in the most recent batch of tests, along with the Ford Ranger. However, those pickups weren’t alone in receiving a “poor” rating, as the 2022 Ford F-150 also flunked this revised seat belt reminder test, too.
However, only one pickup out of the 10 subjected to this most recent test managed to earn a “good” rating – the Toyota Tundra – while five were assigned a “poor” rating. Regardless, this test has become increasingly important in recent years as a total of one-third of pickup occupant deaths in 2020 happened in rollover crashes, which is precisely where seat belts play an important role in keeping occupants inside a vehicle.
To earn a good rating in the revised IIHS standards, a vehicle’s seat belt reminder system must generate an audible signal and visual alert on the dashboard display, overhead panel, or center console when the vehicle is moving at least six miles-per-hour and the system detects an unbelted occupant in the driver or passenger seat, or the unfastening of a second-row belt that was previously buckled. That audible alert must also be loud enough to be heard over background noise inside the vehicle and last at least 90 seconds. A visual indicator must also show second-row belt use when the driver starts the vehicle, and an audible and visual reminder lasting at least 30 seconds is required when a fastened second-row belt is unbuckled.
In that regard, the 2022 Ford F-150 earned its poor rating by failing to initiative an unbelted occupant alert, startup status alert, and belt disengaged alert quickly enough, nor did they last long enough by IIHS standards, though the warning sounds were loud enough to earn a passing grade.
According to the IIHS, seat belt reminder alerts could increase seatbelt use by at least 34 percent and save around 1,500 lives annually when these standards are met. “National belt use observations show that people driving or riding in pickups are less likely to buckle up than occupants of other vehicles, so effective reminders are especially important for these vehicles,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “This is a solvable problem.”
We’ll have more on the F-150 soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
This makes no sense, IIHS says it will increase seat belt usage by “at least 34%.” Latest data from the NHTSA that I see (2019) has the national seat belt usage rate at 90.7%. You can’t increase that by 34%. So they seem to be making up numbers
I believe the statement of 34% increase of seatbelt use is the group that does not use seatbelts regularly. IIHS statement is a 1/3 improvement to increase seatbelt use to about 94-95%.
Forscan
I disable this feature on all my vehicles to begin with. It tells you in the owners manual how to do it lol.
I don’t think this article is accurate. My 2022 F150 has a visual on the dash showing me the seat that unbuckles with an audible warning. All 5 seats are shown with a green or red indicator. It pops up immediately. Not sure what this article is talking about.
Who has to be reminded to fasten their seatbelt?
Honestly, if you haven’t figured out that seat belts work at this point, you’re not going to. Wear it, don’t wear it, I don’t care. Such a stupid common sense thing.
Well, sometimes I ignore the 90 seconds of annoying noise and the indicator on my HUD, so maybe they should require an electric shock to zap me every 5 seconds. Maybe that would remind me to buckle my seat belt. Also a few dozen needles should poke out of the steering wheel every 10 seconds as well. That could help increase seat belt usage by at least 74.62% according to recent studies.
SMH.
People are free to make their own decisions. I really hate all the nanny bells in new cars.
However, since the government subsidizes so much of peoples healthcare, they legitimately have a right to push this nanny state.
We need to get back to a system of personal responsibility. You should be free to choose to not pay for health insurance. But if you get sick, without coverage, then you’re on the hook for the bill. Let the free market provide insurance and medical care to every income bracket. People have lost their motivation to succeed partly because daddy government is providing for their basic needs. Why work hard when someone else will pay for it?