Here’s how the test worked. Current federal regulations stipulate that seat belt reminders must make some kind of noise (usually an intolerable beeping) for at least 4-8 seconds total, with a visual alert for at least 60 seconds total. The current study rates seat belt reminders from good, to acceptable, then marginal, and finally, poor. “Good” belt reminders both make sound and show some sort of visual warning for around 90 seconds while the car is moving above 6mph. From there, things decline until reaching the federal regulations specified above, with “poor” cars meeting the minimum federal standards.
That leaves us with the Ascent and Forester. Unlike any of the other 24 vehicles tested, like the Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Atlas, only those two met the standards. The IIHS said that both Subies had audible alerts that we perceive as roughly four times louder than ambient vehicle noise. In other words, the Forester and Ascent sound like an alarm clock after a night out if you don’t buckle up.
