A car manufacturer has been praised for going “above and beyond” in seatbelt reminder safety test.
The 2023 Toyota Sienna earned a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluation on minivans.
Three other 2023 minivans, the Kia Carnival, Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey, earned acceptable, marginal and poor ratings, respectively.
Along with meeting the stringent IIHS requirements for the front seating positions, the Sienna was the only minivan with reminders for the second row.
The Sienna is also equipped with comparable third-row reminders, which is not yet required for a good rating.
“Effective seat belt reminders are especially important for minivans, since the owners of these vehicles often buy them specifically because they have young children,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist David Kidd, who led the development of the seat belt reminder rating program.
“While some of its competitors are falling short, Toyota deserves credit for going above and beyond.”
Federal standards specify that seat belt reminders must include an audible signal that lasts for four to eight seconds total and a visual alert that lasts at least 60 seconds when the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled at ignition.
However, previous IIHS research has shown that more noticeable and persistent alerts could increase belt use among those who do not routinely buckle up by as much as 34 percent, preventing around 1,500 fatalities a year.
To earn a good rating, a 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 mph 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.
