How do seat belts work?

A brief history of seat belts.

The first seat belts were not invented for vehicles at all, but for hikers, painters, firefighters, or anyone who worked at a job where they needed to be held securely. It wasn't until the early 1950s that a California doctor did a study that linked rudimentary seat belts to a reduction in the large number of head injuries that came to the hospital where he worked. After his research was published, car manufacturers began to incorporate his retractable seat belt idea into their cars. The first car companies to integrate seat belts were Nash and Ford, soon followed by Saab.

How do seat belts work in a crash?

The main purpose of a seat belt is to ensure the safety of vehicle occupants in the event of an accident. The seat belt keeps the passenger in a more static movement despite a sudden stop or change in momentum. The car moves by inertia, that is, the tendency of an object to move until something begins to impede the movement of this object. When the vehicle hits or collides with something, this inertia changes. Without a seat belt, occupants can be thrown into various parts of the vehicle interior or thrown out of the vehicle entirely. The seat belt usually prevents this.

Taking a hit

When properly worn, the seat belt distributes the braking force across the pelvis and chest of the person wearing the seat belt. These areas of the torso are the two strongest parts of the body, so directing the force to these areas minimizes the impact of a crash on the body. The seat belt itself is made from durable yet flexible webbed fabric. When worn properly, it should allow for a small amount of movement, but in order to protect the wearer in the event of an accident, it should fit snugly against the body and be virtually unyielding.

Correct wear

Most seat belts come in two pieces. A waist belt that goes across the user's pelvis and a shoulder belt that goes across one shoulder and chest. For small children in the rear seat, a seatbelt cover can be added which will cushion the seatbelt strap around their shoulders/neck and hold the seatbelt in the correct position for maximum child safety. Car seats are mandatory for toddlers and toddlers because they don't have a safe way to buckle up with a seatbelt.

How the seat belt works:

The belt itself is made of woven fabric. The retractor box is located on the floor or on the inside wall of the vehicle and contains the spool and spring around which the belt is wound. The seat belt retracts from a coil spring which allows the vehicle occupant to pull out the seat belt. When the seat belt is unfastened, the same coil spring automatically retracts. Finally, the castle itself. When the seatbelt is unwound and runs across a person's body, the webbed tissue ends in a metal tongue called a tongue. The tongue is inserted into the buckle. When fastening the seat belt, the vehicle occupant must be in an upright position and sit in the seat with the hips and back pressed against the seatback. When properly worn, a seat belt is by far the best safety feature in a car.

Seat belt parts:

• A webbing belt that serves to hold the passenger in the vehicle in the event of an accident or sudden stop.
• Retractable drawer where the seat belt rests when not in use.
• The reel and spring system are also housed in the tensioner box and help the seat belt unwind smoothly when tensioned, as well as automatically rewind when unlocked.
• The tongue is a metal tongue that is inserted into the buckle.
• The buckle holds the tongue in place until the release button is pressed.

General symptoms and repair

The most common problem with seat belts is that they become tangled when they are not pulled out or allowed to roll properly. The solution to this seatbelt problem is sometimes simple: fully unwind the seatbelt, unraveling it as you go, and then slowly pull it back in. If the seat belt has come off the guide, or there is a problem with the reel or tensioner, a licensed mechanic should be consulted. Occasionally, the seat belt may become frayed or completely rolled up. This repair requires the seat belt itself to be replaced by a licensed mechanic. Finally, the connection between tongue and buckle can wear out. When this happens, the seat belt no longer works at its optimum level and the tongue and buckle must be replaced by a licensed mechanic.