Seat belt reminder

Description
Seat belt reminder gives an audible warning or flashes a light when car is moving and seat belts aren't being used. Seat belt reminder systems are currently available in several new vehicles in the market.

Impacts
Seat belt reduces the risk of injury by 50 %. Seat belt non-usage can be reduced, if cars are equipped with seat belt reminder systems. A system with audible tone and light indication can reduce seat belt non-usage from 23 to 11 percent of car occupants. A more efficient system with interlock probably has a larger impact.

Studies

82.3% of drivers in cars with no seat belt reminder used seat belt while in cars with seat belt reminder the seat belt use was 98.9%. The difference was significant. In cars with mild reminders the seat belt use was 93.0%.	The results are based on an observational study conducted in five Swedish cities. 3089 drivers were observed during the study. All cars were divided into three groups: cars with a loud and clear speed limit reminder fulfilling the requirements set by EURO NCAP 2005, cars with other seat belt reminder and cars with no seat belt reminder.	Kraft, M., Kullgren, A., Lie, A. & Tingvall C.	2006	The Use of Seat Belts in Cars with Smart Seat Belt Reminders - Results of an Observational Study. Traffic Injury Prevention 7/2006, pp. 125-129.
New seat belt use technologies can increase seat belt use without being too intrusive in user's view. Transmission interlock systems are perceived to be effective but most respondents didn't rate them acceptable.	Literature study, interviews and focus groups	TRB, Committee for the Safety Belt Technology Study	2003	Buckling Up: Technologies to Increase Seat Belt Use -- Special Report 278
15,2 % of fatalities caused by road accidents could potentially be avoided in Europe if seat belt wearing compliency rate was 95 %.	Estimation	ETSC	1996	Seat belts and child restraints: Increasing use and optimising performance. European traffic safety council (ETSC), Brussels
Seat belt reduces the risk of injury by up to 50 %. An effective seat belt reminder system (such as an interlock system) has the potential to reduce the number of fatalities in road accidents by 16,1 % in Europe if seat belts are worn by 100 % of car occupants.	-	Turbell, T., Andersson, T., Kullgren A., Larsson, P., Lundell, B., Lövsund, P., Nilsson, C. & Tingvall C.	1996	Optimizing seat belt usage by interlock systems. Fifteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Melbourne 13-16 May 1996.
Seat belt non-usage rates in vehicles with a reminder system was lower (12 %) than in cars without a reminder system (23 %). Seat belt non-usage rate was approximately the same in vehicles equipped with only light reminder (22 %) and in vehicles with no reminder system at all (23 %). A reminder system with only light signal has very limited or negligble effect on seat-belt usage.	Results are based on Swedish accident data	Bylund, P-O & Björnstig U.	2001	Use of seat belt in cars with different seat belt reminder systems. A study on injured car drivers. AAAM 45th Annual Conference, September 24-26, 2001.