Buckle Up, Buddy -- Ford Ranger’s Smart Seat Belt Technology Monitors Rear Seat Buckles

• New Belt Monitor safety technology constantly monitors both front and rear belt usage in the 2019 Ford Ranger, showing which belt has been undone in the instrument cluster
• Ranger’s smart seatbelts ensure drivers can take charge of rear seat passenger safety, without taking eyes off the road
• Along with the all-new Ranger, Belt Monitor is available for the all-new Explorer and Expedition; will roll out across Ford’s entire North American lineup over the next few years

DEARBORN, Mich., June 24, 2019 – The 2019 Ford Ranger isn’t just an off-roading, trailer-towing, high-tech adventure machine, it also boasts some of the smartest seat belts in the business.

To ensure rear seat passengers stay buckled up, every Ford Ranger is equipped with an innovative safety technology called Belt Monitor. The feature alerts the driver if a second row passenger unbuckles and indicates which seat they’re in.

“Whether you’re on the freeway or the trail, we want to make sure everyone who puts a seat belt on keeps it on,” said Paul Kula, Ford electrical systems engineer. “We hope that making Belt Monitor a standard feature in every Ford Ranger will provide extra peace of mind for the driver.”

While other seat belt systems only monitor front and rear passengers as the driver initially pulls away, Ranger alerts a driver when any passenger unbuckles while driving. By flagging the specific seat position, the driver can remind occupants to buckle up again.

Ranger’s Belt Monitor is the first rear seat belt reminder system to debut in Ford’s truck lineup. First introduced on the 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, Belt Monitor will roll out across the entire North American lineup over the next few years.

Smart and capable features

The all-new Ford Ranger brings other smart driver-assist technologies, advanced passenger convenience and connectivity features like standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and 4G LTE Wi-Fi with connectivity for up to 10 devices.

Ford Co-Pilot360^™ technologies like Lane-Keeping System and class-exclusive Blind Spot Information System with trailer coverage are standard on Ranger XLT and Lariat trim levels. Additional driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control and forward and reverse sensing systems are available on XLT and Lariat trucks.