Safety belts
Safety belts (or seat belts) are one of the most crucial safety features in a car. Approved belts must be fitted in all cars, vans, utes and four-wheel drives, and it is compulsory to wear them, whether you are sitting in the front or back seats.
The safety belts must be in good condition. You should have safety belts checked immediately if:
- the buckles are not working properly
- the belt is damaged or faded
- the belt starts to fray.
Legal requirements for safety belts have changed over the years and are different depending on the age of the vehicle. The type of belt has also changed from static belts to retractor belts.
Three-point (lap and diagonal) belts must be fitted in the outer seating positions (including the driver's seat) in most cars, vans, utes and four-wheel drives. Two-point (lap) belts are legally allowed in centre seating positions, but three-point belts provide better safety.
Safety belts stop the driver and passengers being thrown from the car in a crash. They also allow the wearer to ‘ride out’ the crash, moving in the same direction and at the same time as the car, minimising the chance of collision with the interior. Wearing a safety belt can halve the risk of being injured or killed in an accident.
Safety belt technology has evolved greatly since they were first introduced. Modern belts have many features to improve their performance and maximise the level of protection they offer. These features include:
- Webbing elasticity: the belt’s webbing is designed to elongate during a crash to better cushion the wearer
- Retractors: most modern belts have retractors which both provide the wearer with an optimum fit, and keep the belt out of the way when it’s not in use. These lock automatically during a crash. ‘Active control retractors’ are more sophisticated models, which work with other in-car technologies to tighten the belt before a crash, and release it afterwards.
- Pretensioner: this is a device that removes any slack from a seat belt before it is ‘loaded’ with the force of the wearer’s weight during a crash. It is usually triggered by the restraint control module (an in-car computer that controls other protection systems) and after being triggered once, will need to be replaced.
- Load limiting: technology that works to ensure larger and heavier occupants get sufficient protection from the seat belt in a crash. Works in conjunction with the pretensioner to either ‘pay out’ more of the belt webbing, or slightly alter the way the retractor works.
- Adaptive restraints: in-car protection features that adapt to work differently depending on the size of the car’s occupants, or the type of accident. Although there is a great deal of research into this area, there are few features available yet for car buyers.
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