autoevolution
 

2022 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado Will Get Buckle to Drive Safety Feature

General Motors will reportedly implement the Buckle to Drive safety feature for its redesigned 2022 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. The system does not allow shifting out of Park unless the driver's seatbelt is buckled up.
2018-present Chevrolet Silverado 19 photos
Photo: General Motors
Potential teaser for the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 facelift2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 facelift engine and transmission options2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 facelift engine and transmission optionsPotential teaser for the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 facelift2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage2022 Chevy Silverado Spied Doing High-Altitude Testing in Camouflage
The safety feature made its debut in 2019 on the 2020 Chevrolet Traverse's Teen Driver Mode, but is becoming standard in a truck for the first time. Other GM models also get the feature with the Teen Driver Mode, which includes the 2022 Chevy Blazer, 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, 2020 Colorado, Malibu, and Canyon.

Cadillac's 2021 CT4 and C5 already have the Buckle to Drive feature as standard, as do the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, Envision, and Corvette. The 2022 model year is set to bring the feature to the Hummer, Escalade, GMC Yukon, Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, Silverado, and GMC Sierra.

How does Buckle to Drive work? Once the ignition is on and the brake pedal is applied, a message stating "Buckle Seat Belt to Shift" will appear on the screen in between the gauges in the cluster. The driver will have to buckle the seatbelt for the vehicle to allow shifting from Park. The engine is allowed to start without the driver seatbelt being buckled up.

The warning on the screen comes with an audible chime, which might be annoying for some drivers until they change their behavior. The Buckle to Drive safety system will be activated every time the vehicle is started up.

Can Buckle to Drive be disabled? Yes, it can be turned off from the vehicle's settings menu under the Vehicle and Buckle to Drive submenus, but that does not apply to all vehicles that have the system. The GM vehicles that have it as part of the Teen Driver Package need users to disable it from the same menu, but under the Teen Driver submenu.

The setting change may need an engine restart for the modification to be registered. However, not all vehicles may allow the driver to disable the feature. Fleet vehicles and rental cars might have Buckle to Drive on without any option of it being turned off. Regardless, we recommend wearing a seatbelt whenever you drive a vehicle or as a passenger in a vehicle.

Starting 2023, the feature will be expanded to the front passenger seat, GM Trucks notes. Technicians working on General Motors cars with the system might be dissatisfied with the addition of this safety feature, but most vehicles are meant to be driven on public roads, where seatbelt use is mandatory.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: The article's main photo shows a 2018-present Chevrolet Silverado for illustration purposes. The photo gallery shows images of the 2022 Silverado prototype.

About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories