Insurance companies have financial reasons to want car accidents to be rare and the injuries they cause to be minor. A group of them power their own safety lab – the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Federal rules require that a car sound an audible signal for 4 to 8 seconds and offer a visual reminder for at least 60 seconds if a driver is unbuckled.
“In contrast, for a good rating from IIHS, vehicles have to have an audible reminder that lasts at least 90 seconds if any of the occupied front seats remains unbuckled, as well as meet volume standards and other conditions,” the institute says. It also requires a 30-second reminder if a rear occupant is unbuckled.
