Seat belts in cars are among the most important innovations in the field of vehicle safety. Its current form as a three-point belt was developed at the time by an engineer from the vehicle manufacturer Volvo. In 1959, there were two Volvo vehicle models that had it as standard for the first time. Even today, this system is indispensable, even though airbags have meanwhile found their way into the various car models across the board. It is fair to say that seat belts have saved millions of lives in car accidents. In addition, this system also ensures that the severity of injuries to the occupants can be significantly reduced. So it is no wonder that the legislator has introduced a seat belt requirement. These have been available in the Federal Republic of The United Kingdom since 1976, and from 1974 all new cars had to be equipped with them. In the GDR, on the other hand, no new cars were allowed to be sold without a seat belt as early as 1970, but seat belts were not really compulsory until 1980.
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What is meant by a so-called seat belt in a car?
How a seat belt works can be summarized in a few sentences. Its task is to mitigate the effects caused by the mass inertia of the occupants. Let's imagine the following situation: your car is driving on the road at 40 km/h. As a result, all occupants also move forward at the same speed. Are you unbuckled and the vehicle suddenly stops (or slows down). Due to the lack of connection to the car, for example because the seat belt is not worn, the occupants are not slowed down, but continue to move at 40 km/h and are only stopped by the front seat, the dashboard or the windshield. It is easy to understand that this can result in very serious injuries or even death.
The task of the seat belt is to provide a firm yet flexible connection between the passengers and the vehicle. This allows the occupants to be braked in a targeted manner and the resulting braking forces to be distributed to the torso for the most part. The problem here, however, is that the head area is not adequately protected. This is primarily what airbags are for these days, because they protect against serious head injuries.
Safety belts for pregnant women, children and dogs
Seat belts were not developed for pregnant women, children or dogs, which means that there are some restrictions.
For example, dogs, if they are with are to be secured with a safety belt, put on an appropriate harness.
With children, on the other hand, it depends on how big and how old they are. While a baby seat or later a child seat is necessary for smaller children, a booster seat is usually sufficient for older children. From a certain size and a precisely defined age, children can then be secured in the car with the seat belt without any additional device. For pregnant women, on the other hand, there are supplements to the seat belts so that they can ensure a high level of safety and comfort at the same time.
Problems with your seat belt
Where there is light, there is also shadow and so some problems can arise with this exemplary security system. This can result in the seat belt jamming, the seat belt locking when you pull it out, or the seat belt not rolling up. In most cases this is not a malfunction, but has to do with the way your seat belt works.
If the belt is pulled out slowly and evenly, this is possible without much resistance (only the tensile force, which ensures the automatic rewinding, opposes this). However, if the belt is pulled quickly (or if the vehicle is braked quickly), the existing pendulum swings due to its inertia in such a way that further unrolling of the belt is prevented. As a result, the jamming when unrolling or pulling out is usually caused by the belt being pulled too quickly or too jerkily.
Nevertheless, problems with the seat belt can of course also arise if one or more components are worn out or fail completely. In such a case, or if your seat belt is so twisted that it can no longer be unscrewed, a quick visit to a specialist workshop is advisable. This is the only way you can ensure that you can always drive safely with your car. For example, there may be problems with the seat belt stopper or your seat belt connector.
If your seat belt is stuck, there are a few methods to unlock the seat belt. For example, it can help to use a little silicone spray. In this case, however, we recommend using water with washing-up liquid to remove the attached dust from the belt.
Conclusion
Seat belt muffles should realize how important this system is for safety in the vehicle. It is estimated that at least half of the 20% of traffic fatalities who were not buckled up in the accident could still be alive if they had used the seat belt in the car. If you want to find out more about the consequences of an accident if you are not wearing a seat belt, we recommend the relevant crash test videos, which can be found in large numbers. The classic three-point belt is now supplemented by a number of additional systems or devices. These include, for example, belt tensioners, which can function mechanically or pyrotechnically. They ensure that the seat belt in the car is tight enough in the event of an accident. A belt force limiter, on the other hand, can mitigate injuries that could result from the occupants being slowed down by the belt. In the most modern vehicles, however, this is solved by a belt airbag. The seat belt clip prevents you from pulling your seat belt too far.
A tip from CarTipsandmore: Many drivers wonder how to keep the seat belt away from their neck. This problem is usually caused by the belt guide not being adjusted correctly. Most vehicles have the option of adjusting the seat belt height, at least on the driver's or front passenger's seat. If you have positioned this accordingly, the strap will automatically be held away from your neck.