Color Seatbelts Should Be Standard on Every Car
Is a pop of color too much to ask?
I'm sorry to say it, but I cannot remember every single press car I've ever driven. There are certainly standout ones that performed or handled beautifully, but you know what I remember every single time? The ones that had colored seat belts. Therefore, I propose to you today that all cars should come with color-matched seat belts as standard. It's just better this way.
The Hyundai Veloster N, Honda Civic Type R, and Polestar 1 are all cars that were equally fun and interesting, but what made driving them just a little more special were their powder blue, red, and gold seat belts, respectively. They added a pop of color to the interior that felt like it was just for the passengers.
A seat belt is one of the first things you interact with when you get into a car. You get in, you close the door, and you fasten your seat belt. Every single person I drove around in those cars commented on the colored fabric. They all liked it. Seat belts so often come in basic and boring black fabric that seeing one that isn't that is like seeing a knob in the middle of a door. Hobbit-style.
Having a cool seat belt also feels like having a cool bit of the car that you can intimately enjoy for yourself. So much of a car's other features—its exterior looks, its noise—are best enjoyed from the outside by other people. A colored seat belt offers exactly zero performance upgrades, but it's also something that doesn't shout for the attention of bystanders. You most likely don't even notice the belt until you're reaching for it to put it on, and likely each time you do it'll be met with, "Oh hey, this is kinda neat!" It's an easy modification for a very self-contained little nugget of emotional delight that has nearly zero downsides.
I say nearly because yes, the lighter-colored seat belts are probably easier to get smudgy. But I don't imagine it's something a little soap and water won't take care of. And if you're that worried about it, don't go full-color seat belt. Do what BMW does in its new M3 (review incoming!) where most of the belt is black but is stitched with M colors. This is also acceptable.
Cars come in all kinds of exterior paint shades that you can barely see when you're sitting in them. It's time we dressed up the seat belts as well.
Obviously, you agree with me. But if you don't, you're welcome to hit me up at kristen@thedrive.com.
