Buckle apparatus for an occupant restraint system

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored in at least one memory that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out steps comprising:

• determining that at least one prerequisite condition associated with at least one buckle apparatus of an occupant restraint system has been satisfied;
• and
• communicating, in response to the determination that the at least one prerequisite condition associated with the at least one buckle apparatus has been satisfied, a signal to a locking mechanism of each of the at least one buckle apparatus determined to satisfy the at least one prerequisite condition and causing the locking mechanism to transition from a locked mode, in which a latch coupled to a seat belt webbing associated with the buckle apparatus is secured to the locking mechanism, to an unlocked mode, in which the latch is removable from the locking mechanism,
• wherein each of the at least one buckle apparatus includes a retention mechanism operable with the latch such that, in a retention mode, the retention mechanism is configured to cause the latch to be retained by the buckle apparatus when a withdrawal force applied to the latch is less than a predetermined value, and wherein, when the retention mechanism is in the retention mode and the locking mechanism is in the unlocked mode, the retention mechanism is configured to allow removal of the latch from the buckle apparatus when the withdrawal force applied to the latch is greater than the predetermined value.