Carmakers, safety groups tout seat belt tech amid holiday travel season

By Grant Schwab, gschwab@detroitnews.com

Washington — At a time when futuristic automobile security options are gaining hype and a focus from know-how fans, probably the most life-saving areas of innovation facilities on a system first patented in 1962.

Take into account the standard seat belt, particularly through the busy vacation season.

“In addition to the motive force, seat belts are a very powerful security system within the automobile,” mentioned Jennifer Morrison, director of car security technique at Mazda North American Operations. “It saves essentially the most lives. It is one of the best factor somebody can do once they get within the automotive.”

The auto business has made essential enhancements to the acquainted machine lately, together with wider adoption of superior crash response programs for rear passenger seat belts. These software-activated and pyrotechnic programs are already saving lives of front-row riders, and their more and more frequent deployment within the second row has been a welcome change for security advocates.

“We have seen nice response from automakers,” mentioned Joe Younger, spokesman for the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security.

Renew the rear seat

IIHS is extensively considered an business chief in selling automobile security and not too long ago up to date certainly one of its key crash checks to enhance rear seat safety. The group started conducting its personal crash checks in 1995, prompting automakers to dramatically enhance front-seat security in subsequent years.

Nevertheless, Younger defined that this meant the relative danger for passengers shifted to the again seat as automakers centered on security know-how for drivers and shotgun riders.

After observing this pattern in automobile crash knowledge, IIHS launched a new test in 2022 – the “up to date reasonable overlap entrance crash check” – to encourage automotive and truck producers to use the identical degree of ingenuity in defending second-row passengers.

The check includes a automobile crashing straight right into a stable object at a distance of 40%, a sort of wreck that’s extra frequent than 100% head-on collisions. The check not too long ago additionally included a dummy meant to simulate the dimensions of a small girl or 12-year-old baby within the second row behind the motive force dummy.

“We have seen actually stable enhancements,” Younger mentioned in an interview. “In 2023, a few third of the automobiles assessed acquired a ‘good’ ranking in that check. Quick ahead to 2025, and we’ve got about half of the automobiles assessed receiving a ‘good’ ranking, and 10% or 15% having an ‘acceptable’ ranking.”

A key cause for the enhancements is the extra widespread adoption of rear seat belt pretensioners and power limiters in new automobiles.

Seatbelt pretensioners are a tool that tightens the seatbelt previous to a crash, pulling passengers nearer into the seat and right into a safer place to soak up the shock of each the crash itself and the automobile’s airbag. As soon as a automobile detects an impending collision – maybe from sudden heavy braking – the software program within the automobile sends a sign to fireplace the mechanism in a small, managed explosion.

Load limiters are units that present a mechanical response after a crash to loosen the seat belt in order that it doesn’t stay too stiff and lead to damaged ribs or different inner accidents.

Different engineering and design choices, Younger and different automobile security specialists famous, have additionally performed a task in enhancing rear-seat security.

For instance, the geometry and building of the seats are vital to make sure that passengers stay in a safer place throughout a crash. Tilted seats can forestall riders from jolting too far ahead, and cushioning can soak up a few of the impression that’s shortly transferred to the automobile.

These design choices will help forestall a harmful phenomenon referred to as “submarining,” by which a automobile occupant slides ahead and the seat belt turns into lodged within the stomach.

“We have to guarantee that belt stays the place it needs to be through the crash, which is low over the hips and over the collarbone,” Younger mentioned.

The placement of the seat belt anchorage on the seat itself (moderately than on the automobile body) additionally improves passenger safety by limiting the transmission of exterior forces.

Mazda’s security push

Morrison, who was a crash investigator for the Nationwide Transportation Security Board earlier than becoming a member of Mazda, mentioned the Japanese automaker goals to be an business chief in rear passenger safety and security normally. The corporate has set a aim of zero fatalities involving new Mazda automobiles by 2040.

As a part of that aim, beginning within the first quarter of 2026, Mazda will develop into the primary automaker to incorporate entrance and rear seat belt pretensioners and power limiters as commonplace security options on all its new U.S. fashions with not less than two rows of seats. (One mannequin, the MX5 Miata, has no rear seat.)

The corporate has a smaller footprint in the USA than different main automakers — it represents about 3% of the U.S. new automobile market — however has grown gross sales considerably over the previous decade because of investments in its retail presence and powerful security file.

“I believe it is vital that you just discover new applied sciences,” Morrison mentioned of higher-profile options like self-driving capabilities, lane centering and adaptive cruise management. “However on the similar time, double what you are already doing effectively, proper?”

“Seat belts are so vital. And it isn’t nearly buckling,” she added, referring to the hidden and superior know-how able to deploy within the occasion of an accident. “Buckle up is like, that is what you do. That is what the occupant does. We have now the remainder. (The seat belt) can do lots of issues that you do not even learn about.”

“You primarily have a military of fourteen units. It is good sufficient to know if somebody is there they usually’re caught.”

Trade-wide enchancment

The nonprofit product ranking, security and advocacy group Client Experiences discovered stronger rear seat safety after the launch of the brand new IIHS check in 2022.

“For mannequin yr 2025, 75% of the automobiles we observe (roughly 353 fashions) had rear seat belt pretensioners and power limiters,” says Dr. Emily Thomas, deputy director of automotive security at CR’s Auto Check Middle.

“We’re actually seeing an increasing number of know-how turning into commonplace in new automobiles,” she added in an e mail.

Thomas additionally praised Volvo Automotive AB for introducing a multi-adaptive entrance seat belt for its 2026 EX60 mannequin. The brand new know-how makes use of sensors to regulate crash response primarily based on passenger traits reminiscent of top, weight and physique form.

Jeep maker Stellantis NV has added rear seat belt pretensioners and power limiters to seven of its U.S. fashions, beginning with the Wrangler in 2024. Basic Motors Co. mentioned the units can be found on “most” of its fashions, in line with spokesman Invoice Grotz.

Ford didn’t reply to a request for remark.

GM additionally promoted some seat belt security options in a holiday blog post geared toward encouraging drivers and passengers to lock their seat belts. The Detroit-based automaker highlighted the “Buckle to Drive” characteristic that’s commonplace on 2025 and 2026 fashions, and the rear seat belt reminder system that’s out there on “many” fashions.

When enabled, the Buckle to Drive system prevents drivers from shifting out of park for 20 seconds or till their seat belt is mounted. The characteristic additionally applies to entrance seat passengers on some fashions.

This characteristic goals to fight the unhappy actuality of automotive accidents.

“We all know from analysis,” mentioned Younger, the IIHS spokesman, “that seat belt reminders which are persistent and loud really assist get lots of people to placed on their seat belts. That is actually vital as a result of — it is fairly wild — for those who have a look at the real-world knowledge, despite the fact that most individuals are placing on their seat belts, about half of the individuals who died in passenger automotive crashes weren’t sporting their seat belts.”

Younger famous that the typical age of a automobile on American roads is about 12 years, that means tens of millions of vehicles and vehicles do not have the sensors and warning programs which have develop into more and more frequent. However they do have seat belts.

“If we may get everybody to put on the belt, that may be nice. It might actually cut back the variety of folks dying,” he mentioned.

Younger additionally urged drivers and passengers to be particularly cautious and affected person when touring to see household and pals through the holidays.

“As folks take to the roads, I believe my message is to do what they’ll as people to make the roads safer,” he mentioned. “And that’s to placed on the leash, watch their velocity and keep away from restraints and distractions.”