Subaru Sherman Oaks Earns Top Ratings For New IIHS Seat Belt Reminder Evaluation

Subaru of America, Inc. announced that the 2022 Ascent and Forester received top ratings in a new initiative from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This initiative exists to encourage manufacturers to step up their games regarding seat belt reminders.

The new approach developed by the IIHS assigns grades of "Good," "Acceptable," "Marginal," and "Poor" to seat belt reminders. These grades are determined mostly by the duration, volume, and timing of the auditory alert. 

A seat belt reminder system must produce an audio and visual alert on the overhead panel, dashboard display, or center console when the vehicle is going at least 6 miles per hour. It identifies an unbelted individual in either the driver or passenger seat. It must also be able to locate the unbuckling of a second-row belt that was formerly buckled in order to receive a rating of "Good."

Audible signals are not rated highly if they're not loud enough to be heard over the car's interior noise. The audio and visual reminders must continue for at least 90 seconds before automatically stopping if the front-row seat belts are still unbuckled. Warnings must last at least 30 seconds if the second-row belt has been unbuckled previously. The second row also needs a visual alert that appears when the vehicle is started.

In comparing 26 small and midsize SUVs carried out by the IIHS, only the Forester and Ascent were rated "Good" by the experts. The human ear can register an audio alert three to four times clearer than the ambient car noise during test drives in both models. These alerts also meet all of the prerequisites for both front and rear reminders.

When the driver's seat belt is left unbuckled, a visual and auditory warning must be activated for at least 60 seconds, as required by federal regulations for seat belt reminders. The duration of the audible warning must range from four to eight seconds.

At Subaru Sherman Oaks in Van Nuys, we have all the latest models of the Subaru for sale, including the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Outback, and 2022 Subaru Legacy. So, why don't you come over and check them out today?