In the coming two years, vehicles will be required to have seat belt alerts for all seats, not just the driver’s seat.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a new regulation on Monday mandating seat belt reminders for both rear and front seats, alongside enhanced signals for driver’s seats.

This regulation is intended to reduce injuries and fatalities related to car accidents. Each year, about 822 deaths and over 11,000 injuries occur because backseat passengers fail to wear their seat belts, according to the NHTSA. The agency predicts that this rule will help avoid more than 500 injuries and 50 deaths annually.

The regulation updates the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, which was first established in 1968. Although automakers began installing seat belts prior to that date, the federal mandate occurred then, specifically for driver seats.

“Although the use of seat belts has improved overall, there is still more we can do to encourage everyone to buckle up. These new regulations are designed to increase seat belt usage, particularly for those in rear seats, by providing stronger reminders for everyone in the vehicle,” said Adam Raviv, Chief Counsel of NHTSA, in a news release.

Here’s a quick overview of the new rule.

When will the new regulations take effect?

According to the new regulation, front seat belt warnings must be compliant by September 1, 2026, while rear seat warnings need to meet the requirements by September 1, 2027. Manufacturers may also choose to adopt these changes before these deadlines.

Who must follow this new regulation?

This regulation is applicable to passenger cars, trucks, most buses (excluding school buses), and multi-purpose passenger vehicles with a maximum weight of 10,000 pounds.

What will the rear seat belt warnings entail?

As part of the new requirement, vehicles must provide both visual and auditory warnings during start-up to notify the driver about rear seat belt usage. The visual alert needs to persist for a minimum of 60 seconds, while the audio signal must last at least 30 seconds. If the vehicle indicates that the back seats are unoccupied, no warnings are necessary.

Passenger seat belt alerts will be mandatory

While most cars manufactured in 2022 and onward are equipped with passenger seat belt alerts, this regulation will officially require them.

What new features will be mandated for driver seat belt alerts?

Driver seat belt warnings have been around for some time, but this new rule stipulates that they must be longer in duration. A visual signal must be activated when the ignition is turned on, the seat is occupied, and the seat belt is unbuckled. There will also be an audio alert with two stages: the first stage should last at least 30 seconds, and the second stage will trigger when the seat is occupied, seat belt is unfastened, and the vehicle is traveling at a speed of at least 6.2 miles per hour, as detailed in the regulation.