USA: Updates to FMVSS 208 (seat belt use warning system)

 

USA published a proposed revision of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection”.

This document revises Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, “Occupant Crash Protection,” to mandate a seat belt use warning system for rear seats. It also updates and enhances the existing seat belt warning requirements for the driver’s seat and extends these requirements to the front outboard passenger seat. The final rule applies, with some exceptions, to passenger cars, trucks, most buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less. Additionally, the document includes related amendments to FMVSS No. 101, “Controls and Displays.”

Effective Date: The rule takes effect on March 4, 2025.
Compliance Dates:

• Front seat belt warning system requirements: September 1, 2026.
• Rear seat belt warning system requirements: September 1, 2027.
  Early compliance is optional. Multi-stage manufacturers and alterers are granted an additional year for compliance.

The rule fulfills the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) obligation under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which required NHTSA to establish regulations for a rear seat belt warning system in motor vehicles. Additionally, it addresses a rulemaking petition submitted by Public Citizen and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety advocating for this requirement.

The rule also updates and strengthens the existing seat belt warning requirements for the driver’s seat and extends these requirements to the front outboard passenger seat. It applies, with certain exceptions, to passenger cars, trucks, most buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs) with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less.

NHTSA issues this final rule under the authority of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act), 49 U.S.C. chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety (49 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.).

To find out more about automotive regulations in USA, please do not hesitate to contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research.