Starting on September 1, 2027, every new car and light truck sold in the United States will feature an additional chime by law. The Department of Transportation announced on Monday that rear seatbelt reminder systems, which have been mandatory in Europe since 2019, will be required in our market, too.

 

The late-2027 timeline suggests that carmakers have until the 2028 model year to comply with the new regulation, though it wouldn’t surprise us if some companies roll out this feature across their range well before the deadline. While the industry has a proven track record of resisting change, adding a seatbelt reminder system to the rear seats should be relatively cheap and straightforward, given that the technology already exists and is present in a great many models.