A pre-tensioner fitted to the buckle will tighten the belt in the moment of impact, cutting down on your forward movement. A web lock or grabber acts on the reel, preventing the belt being pulled through the spool.
Lap belts
Most lap belts are simple devices, little more than pieces of webbing attached to an anchor point on the car’s chassis. Because there’s no inertia reel, they need to be adjusted to minimize slackness.
Seat belts are designed so that, in the event of an accident, the webbing is in contact with bony areas such as the shoulders, ribs and pelvis, thus minimizing the risk of injury to delicate fleshy tissue. Serious injury can result if the belt is not worn correctly.
Seat belts are most effective when the wearer is sitting up straight and well back in the seat. First adjust the seat to a comfortable upright position (the further a seat is reclined, the greater the risk of your sliding out from under the belt in a crash). If your car has height-adjustable belts, position the diagonal band so that it rests midway across your shoulder. It should not be in contact with your neck, and the diagonal should never be worn under the arm. If it is not possible to adjust the height of the belt, boost your height by sitting on a cushion. Making sure that the belt is not twisted or caught on anything, pull it across your body.
Position the lap belt across the pelvis, NOT over the stomach or waist. Always place the buckle to one side to reduce the risk of injury.
Pregnant women must take special care to keep the belt as low as possible over the hips. If in doubt consult your doctor.
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of always checking the belt’s release mechanism — in an emergency such as a fire, you may need to leave the vehicle in a hurry.
Check all belts regularly to make sure that they are in good working order and free of damage. If the webbing becomes frayed, contaminated or damaged the belt should be replaced.
Always keep seat belts fastened when not in use — in an accident a flying belt buckle can cause serious injuries. This will also prevent stray belt straps from getting caught in the car doors, or tripping up passengers as they leave the vehicle.
Keep all seat belts clean — dirty belts can leave marks on clothing. Never use bleach or chemical solvents as this will weaken the webbing, and NEVER dismantle the assembly to clean the belts. Use a cloth moistened with a mild detergent for cleaning, then fully extend the belts to allow them to dry thoroughly. A wet belt can cause rewinding problems. Keep the buckle and retractor free of obstructions.
Even if you are not involved in an accident, you can be fined for not wearing a seatbelt. All occupants over the age of 14 are personally responsible for making sure they wear a belt (and liable for the fine if they don’t).
It is the driver’s legal responsibility to see that any children under 14 wear a belt or, preferably, a restraint suited to their size and weight (a baby or child seat for infants, booster seats for bigger children). You could be fined or have your licence endorsed if you fail to ensure that children use seat belts or restraints where available.
Most European countries will not allow children to be carried in the front passenger seat. This is because the safest place for them is in the back seat. In Britain, the rules on carrying children are as follows:
Children under 3 years of age: must always wear a child restraint (an adult seatbelt will not do) when travelling in the front seat. In the back seat a child restraint must be used if one is available. There’s nothing in the law to stop you carrying a baby or toddler in a back seat which is not fitted with a child restraint.
Children from 3 to 11 years of age and less than 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall: must wear an appropriate child restraint if one is available. If not, an adult seatbelt should be worn.
Children aged 12 and above or younger children over 1.5 metres tall: must wear an adult belt if one is fitted, whether they sit in the front or the rear of the car.
In Britain there’s no law against carrying more passengers than there are seat belts available, or against carrying children in a car which has no appropriate child restraints whatsoever. But the fact that it’s not illegal doesn’t make it safe. Heavy passengers will pose a danger to those sitting in front of them if they don’t wear a belt, and children have a much better chance of surviving an accident if they are secured by a child seat or other restraint rather than an adult seat-belt which they might slide out of. Don’t stop at complying with the legal requirements — follow the recommendations set out below (see Child Restraints).
A seatbelt that has been worn in an accident should be checked by an expert. The whole assembly may need to be replaced even if there is no visible sign of damage.
Children who are left unrestrained in cars have accidents — even when the car is stationary. Try not to leave them unsupervised, and NEVER leave them alone in the car with the keys in the ignition. It’s well worth fitting childproof locks so that the rear doors can only be opened from outside the car. And if you have electric windows, ask if a device can be installed which will allow you to override the rear-window switches so that they can only be operated from the driver’s seat.
The only safe way for children to travel by car is strapped into a child restraint which is suited to their weight and size, and which conforms to approved safety standards (look for United Nations, European Community or British Standards labels signifying that the product has been tested and approved). The alternatives don’t bear thinking about:
Holding an infant in your arms. Even if you are wearing a seatbelt, in the event of a collision the force of the impact will probably cause the child to be torn from your arms and hurled at the windscreen.
Putting your seatbelt round a child being carried on your lap. In a collision, you will be thrown forward exerting some three and a half tons of force on that child’s body. If the child isn’t crushed to death outright, horrific injuries will be inflicted.
Leaving the baby in a carrycot on the back seat. Even if the carrycot is strapped in, it’s the cot which is restrained, not the baby. In a violent collision the baby could be thrown out.
Using an adult seatbelt to restrain the child. In a crash, a small child wearing an adult seatbelt will most likely ‘submarine’ out from under it. There’s also a risk that the belt will bear upon the child’s neck, damaging