Our practice > Seat Belts

4 Common Seat Belt Mistakes Made By Car Companies

Properly designed seat belts can greatly reduce the risk of death or serious injury in many accidents. However, some seat belt characteristics make them less effective, resulting in injury or even death. In some case, these defective seat belts were recalled, but other defective seat belts remain in cars still on the road. I’ve investigated seat belts and occupant crash protection in all types of vehicles, including models from Acura, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, General Motors (GM), GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, Saturn, Toyota, and Volkswagen (VW).

Seat Belt Mistake #1: False Latching

With some seat belt buckles, consumers will hear a “click” when the belt is buckled – but it is not securely fastened. Unfortunately, the first time they find out about this mistake is during an accident when the seat belt comes loose, allowing them to hit the steering wheel, instrument panel (dash) or other interior components.

In some case, false latching can even lead to ejection from the vehicle during an accident. Often, false latching defects or failures are caused by poor design and inadequate testing of the seat belt buckle or latch plate, either at the car company, supplier, or both.

Seat Belt Mistake #2: Energy Management Loops/Rip Stitching

Certain vehicles have an “energy management” loop or “rip stitching” in their seat belts. These loops of extra seat belt webbing material are intended to rip open during an accident, and can cause the seat belt to become 8 to 10 inches longer than its original length. This can significantly reduce the seat belt’s effectiveness in many crashes, resulting in occupant movement during crashes and even partial ejection. Click here for a video of the extra seat belt material hidden within an energy management loop.

Energy management loops or rip stitching is particularly deadly in more severe crashes and rollover accidents because they often allow a person’s head to strike the roof or other interior components. Sometimes an occupant’s head can even go outside the vehicle during the rollover sequence. Such partial ejection has caused numerous deaths and catastrophic injuries in rollover crashes.

Seat Belt Mistake #3: Poor Seat Belt Location/Geometry

For maximum effectiveness, a seat belt must be designed using appropriate angles and mounting locations for the anchors. Unreasonable anchor locations can cause the seat belt to distribute crash forces on the human body in places that are not capable of handling those forces.

One example is the submarining phenomenon. During an accident, the occupant slips under the lap belt, allowing it to ride up on the abdomen and cause severe or even fatal internal injuries. Such problems are also often found in vehicle having the safety belts mounted to the door frame. Small stature persons, including short women and children, are most at risk of injuries from submarining beneath a seat belt.

Although measurement devices to evaluate the risk of submarining have been available for more than a decade, many manufacturers do not use them.

Poor seat belt geometry can also cause seat belt rollout, where the shoulder strap portion of the seat belt slides off the shoulder, resulting in little restraint to the upper body. These defects are responsible for severe injuries or deaths during rollover crashes because a person’s head or neck strikes the steering wheel, roof or other interior components. These seat belt defects can also prevent a person from being properly positioned to get maximum effectiveness from their air bag system.

Seat Belt Mistake #4: Generation 3 (Gen III) Seat Belt Buckles

Because the red release button sticks out so far on these seat belts, they have a higher risk of accidental release during a crash. Once the latch separates or breaks away from the buckle, the seat belt cannot properly protect the occupant.

The previous design (the Gen 2 buckle) protected the release button much better, reducing the risk of the seat belt opening during a crash. A comparison of the two designs is shown in the photographs below.

Our Representative Cases page describes several such cases. Even in cases where Chrysler changed the design to eliminate the Gen III buckles, we have found dealers are still selling the Gen III buckles as service replacement parts.

Other Common Seat Belt Mistakes

Other types of seat belts defects often encountered in crashworthiness litigation include inertial unlatching, lack of a shoulder belt for center rear-seating positions, failure to design the seat belt for short-stature women and children, failure to include seat belt pretensioners, and failure to include an effective seat ramp.

If you are concerned that a seat belt defect may have caused serious injuries to you or to a loved one, our firm can analyze your specific situation and advise you of your legal rights. We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have, so please feel free to contact us.