A handful of new Chevrolet models won’t only produce a chime to remind drivers to buckle up, but they also won’t let a driver shift out of park.
The brand announced Tuesday its new Buckle to Drive feature, which will be part of the Teen Driver system announced in 2015. The way it works is fairly simple. When a driver starts the car and does not buckle his or her seatbelt, the car will lock itself in park when the driver pushes their foot on the brake pedal. A message reading “Buckle seat belt to shift” will appear in the gauge cluster.
The function will only work if the car’s Teen Driver mode is active, which also provides parents a safety net for new and inexperienced drivers. The system can set speed limits, geofencing to know if a teen has left a certain area, and set maximum audio volumes for fewer distractions behind the wheel.
Teenagers have some of the lowest rates of seat belt usage in the United States. The Center for Disease and Protection’s data also shows the majority of fatal crashes involving teen drivers include teenagers who were not using their seat belt. Nearly 2,500 teenagers were killed behind the wheel in 2016. Of the 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, 47 percent were not wearing seat belts. Even with mountains of active safety features available today, buckling up remains the top way to stay safe behind the wheel.
Chevrolet piloted the new feature on a select number of fleet vehicles and found seat belt usage among adults increased 16 percent over the regular audible chime.
New car shoppers will find Buckle to Drive standard in three Chevy models for the 2020 model year. The Malibu, Colorado, and Traverse will roll the new feature out.
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Comments
Will we soon see this safety feature on the next generation 2021 MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe since both of those automotive nameplates will be pressed into true family duty?
I think this is a great feature. I know a few will attempt to make the argument that it should be a choice if they wish to wear a seat belt and that not using one doesn’t affect anyone else. But that is not true.
For the 10 years I was in law enforcement, I’ve heard it all. Yet if people could only see some of the accidents that I’ve handled or been involved with, then I think they would change the way they look at seat belts forever. And for anyone who says that it doesn’t affect anyone else when they don’t use a belt? Wrong. The highest cost in an accident is not the property damage. It’s the personal injury damages and hospital bills that follow. The more insurance companies pay out, the higher everyone’s rates go. But that’s just the monetary loss/costs. The even greater cost is from a death for a family. That affects everyone in that persons life! Believe me when I tell you that delivering (in person) a death notice is probably the hardest thing an officer ever has to do.
there was a roll over crash near me and the driver was thrown out thru an open sun roof and crushed by their own car and they did not have on their seat belt. GM did this once before but remove it because of complaints
I had a 1974 Chevy Monte Carlo with a system similar to that. I am ancient now so I can’t r remember if you had to buckle up to start it or to drive it.
It was easy to defeat. All you had to do is disconnect a wire u Dre the seat.’ –
Absolutely not. This is as bad as Dodge with the doors being open and puttin it in park automatically. I can’t even move it 2 foot without it slammed it in park as soon as it starts moving. Horrible idea on Chevys side to start this with the seat belts. This will only be acceptable if it is programmed into to computer when a certain key is detected.
@John:
I would disagree. First, why are you (or would you be) driving you Dodge with a door open? Even just to move it a couple feet, why have the door open?
As for the seat belt thing? If you read the article fully, it states that this is a feature that can be programmed with the teen driver feature. This is a great thing. I’ve seen young kids in accidents. I’ve seen family members at the hospital getting the news that their young driver child is dead. I have two children who will be driving in a couple years. When we get in my car, they already know that it will NOT move till all belts are on and no belts are to be removed until the car is 100% stopped. I can only pray that they will always use seat belts when the time comes to be a driver or passenger in any car.
As a Lot porter, getting in, shutting the door and buckling up to move it a foot or a few inches to make a line perfect is completely ridiculous. I move Chevys, dodges, Jeeps, Fiats, etc. Mopar and GM vehicals mainly. Shutting the door is a pointless action in most of my cases
Ah. Makes sense. Volvo’s are the same way. I was taking your post above as a customer and not from a “lot” perspective. I hear ya!
I bet everyone will love this feature! Especially valet people and all auto service guys. I’m all for seat belts but this is dumb and annoying!