According to IIHS, for a minivan to receive a "good" rating for seat belt reminders, it must produce an audible signal and visual alert that reminds the occupant to fasten their seat belt, which activates when the vehicle reaches 6 mph and detects an unbuckled passenger in the front or second row. The four minivans tested were the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica, 2023 Honda Odyssey, 2023 Kia Carnival, and 2023 Toyota Sienna.
Out of the four, only the Sienna was rated "good" due to its seat belt reminders in the front and second rows. The Carnival received an "acceptable" rating for its front-row reminders, but not for the second row. The Pacifica received a "marginal" rating due to its audible tone, which did not start within two seconds after reaching 25 mph and was not loud enough to overcome the ambient noise in the cabin. The Odyssey received a "poor" rating as its reminder only lasted less than eight seconds.
“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 regulations require a seat belt reminder system to last between four to eight seconds, with a visual alert lasting at least 60 seconds. IIHS states that more persistent and noticeable alerts, if the standards were altered, could encourage up to 34% of occupants to wear their seat belts, potentially preventing 1,500 fatalities annually. Unfortunately, many of these fatalities are children, with over a third of children ages 4-12 killed in crashes in 2020 not buckled up. This age group also tends to ride in the second or third row and use the vehicle's safety belts instead of harness-type car seats. A reminder system in these rows would not only encourage children to buckle up but also make it easier for drivers to monitor them, with 80% of family car buyers seeking rear seat belt reminders.
Source: IIHS
