Rear Seat Belt Icons

There’s no way to turn it off that I know of. It’s only on for a brief period of time so I don’t worry about it.

 

Some things I wonder about: If the car "thinks" there are occupants in the back seat because the seat belts are buckled, are there seat sensors to confirm somebody is sitting there? The system does complain when somebody is sitting there and the seat belt isn't buckled. There really aren't any active supplemental restraint components for the rear seat occupants other than an extension of the side curtain system a little ways into the rear. Also, are their different emergency braking adjustments made for vehicles with and without rear seat occupants?

 

When you first make the Prius ready (start) it checks a host of sensors. Some of them test a little longer, like the rear seats do. No cause for alarm or disgust. Part of the boot sequence. I do think there are weight sensors monitoring each of the sitting positions in the rear seat since I have seen the red LED error condition persist for an occupied seat without an engaged seat belt. My question alluded to the possibility of a change in the emergency braking algorithm or programming based on sensed occupied seats. The detection and response of your SRS (supplemental restraint system) during an accident might be in error if the computer is expecting added weight from detected passengers (detected buckled seatbelts) that aren't there. I was asking the group if anyone knew if that was the case. The lifesaving functions of this safety system are made in fractions of a second.

 

I checked the OM for our ‘22 XLE NIGHTSHADE EDITION and it clearly states and shows detectors for the front passenger seat, going into a lengthy discussion about it. However, it doesn’t state there are any detectors for the rear seats. Yet, I kind of remember us checking out the seat belt alarms when we first got the car in ‘22 and being under the impression that it did sense occupants in the rear. I’ll try to find time to try it again. But couldn’t find in reference to them in the manual.
FWIW we carry our 70 pound German Shepherd Dog in the back seat and she doesn’t trigger the seat belt alarm.

 

With an adult sitting in the back seat without buckling the seat belt the 3 rear seat lights illuminate when the car is started, stay lit like usual for a brief time, and then turn off, as usual. No alarm indicating someone is sitting in the rear seats without the belt buckled.
FWTW (other than teaching us not to rely on my memory)

 

Hi Kan! There’s no way to turn it off.