WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation said on Monday it will require rear-seat reminder systems to encourage seat belt use from late 2027, in an effort to reduce the number of deaths and injuries in traffic crashes that have increased in recent years , to reduce.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the final rule will also improve and expand current warnings for the driver and others in the front seats. The final rule comes more than a decade after Congress in 2012 directed the agency to consider making the systems mandatory for rear-seat passengers. NHTSA estimates that the new rule will ultimately prevent more than 500 injuries and save approximately 50 lives annually.
(Reporting by David Shepardson)
