Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Here we explain how to use it

Every time new cars are equipped with more safety systems that seek to protect vehicle occupants from a collision. Cuando pensamos en ellos se nos vienen a los important advances, como los airbags, el ESP (control electrónico de stabilidad), o los llamados y famosos ADAS, entre los que destacan, los avisadores de salida involuntaria de track, los sistema de frenado automático in case of imprevisto obstacle in carretera o el mismo control crucero de velocidad variable, entre otros, que muestran lo lejos que ha ido la tecnología y la cantidad de vidas que se consiguen salvar… Pero estaríamos olvidando al system de seguridad más efectivo de la historia : seat belts.

A simple invention, but brilliant at the same time. Fastening your seat belt is usually automatic when getting into a vehicle today, and it appeared as standard in 1959 on the Volvo Amazon and, later, on all models of the Swedish brand. From then on, all the manufacturers saw its effectiveness and started adding it to their vehicles and today it is unthinkable that it does not have it.

In an accident, collision, or rollover, occupants inside the vehicle can be struck by the windshield, seats, metal pillars, other occupants, and moving objects. They can even be thrown out of the car. These impacts are the ones that most often cause injury or death. Statistics show that someone ejected from the vehicle is five times more likely to die than someone who stays inside the car.

In Chile, the use of seat belts has been mandatory on the front seats since 1985, while cars manufactured after 2002 must have seat belts on the rear seats and currently all occupants must use them according to law.

“The seat belt, as one of the first automobile safety elements invented, is extremely relevant as a passive element, that is, once the traffic accident has occurred. This protects the vehicle occupant from being thrown around in the event of a collision or accident. In this way, a greater injury is avoided, knowing that if it has been thrown, the person can suffer more injuries when struck in sensitive parts of the body such as the head. However, what is worrying is the low use of seat belts located in the rear seats of the vehicle, 21% according to CONASET studies,” explains Luis Stuven, road safety manager at Mutual de Seguridad.

But not only the use is important, but the seat belt must be well placed. Here we leave you what you need to know so that this simple invention of more than six decades ago is really effective for the health of the occupants.

1. The diagonal part of the belt should cross the shoulder and the chest to end on the side of the hip. On the other hand, the one with horizontal orientation passes from one end to the other of the hips. The operation is very similar in men and women regardless of their condition, except in the case of pregnant women, where special care must be taken when placing the belt on the body.
2. The first thing you need to know is that a seat belt can only fulfill its function if it is in good condition and used correctly.
3. In the event that you have suffered a sudden accident, you should have the belts checked and/or changed, as well as if they are frayed, stretched, inflexible or with a broken lock. Its proper functioning will depend on the state in which they are.
4. Underneath any of the bands that cross your body, there should be no objects such as glasses or pens, because in the event of an accident, they can get stuck in your body due to the pressure.
5. The abdominal band must be snug and pass at the height of the hips.
6. The shoulder strap must be adapted to the size of the person using the belt, especially for children, who require the use of a booster seat. The belt must cross the central part of the trunk, without touching the neck or the head. It should be noted that the correct way is over the shoulder, not under the arm.
7. No belt loop should be twisted.
8. Never recline the seat too much, because in the event of an accident, you could be thrown below the belt.
9. Pregnant women should always wear a seat belt, passing the lap belt over the pelvis, properly adjusted, to avoid any pressure on the abdomen.
10. All car occupants must wear a seat belt. In the event of an accident, if the passengers behind you are not wearing their seat belts, they will be thrown forward at the same speed as the vehicle.

For Stuven, road safety manager at Mutual de Seguridad, something similar happens in the case of child restraint systems. “It’s the ‘child seat belt’, which means that car seat belts are not made for people smaller than an adult. For the same reason, the regulatory changes that have been in place for a long time, to protect children. In this case, we cannot speak of a culture of road safety when only 33% of children are transported in this type of element.