The untold history of the seat-belt warning.
I found this Washington Post story about the “lowly” seat belt warning — how they came to be, which automakers have the best and worst chimes, and the people who are still militantly opposed to wearing seat belts — to be highly fascinating. The occasion is that the federal government is delaying new rules that would require automakers to install more persistent warnings. It’s troubling because seat belts literally save lives, and so do reminders to wear them. [Link: Ding! Ding! Ding! The long, strange fight over your car’s seat-belt chime. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2026/09/07/seat-belt-chimes-are-meant-save-lives-some-people-still-resent-them/ | The Washington Post]
I found this Washington Post story about the “lowly” seat belt warning — how they came to be, which automakers have the best and worst chimes, and the people who are still militantly opposed to wearing seat belts — to be highly fascinating. The occasion is that the federal government is delaying new rules that would require automakers to install more persistent warnings. It’s troubling because seat belts literally save lives, and so do reminders to wear them. [Link: Ding! Ding! Ding! The long, strange fight over your car’s seat-belt chime. | | The Washington Post]
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