Seat belts are one of the best means passive protection. They prevent the body from moving during impacts and collisions. Enhanced Efficiency can be achieved through cushions built into the hard parts of the cabin.
Attention! The use of seat belts in the design of the car helps to avoid a number of serious injuries.
An interesting social video about the consequences of seat belts:
Types of seat belts
Automotive industry over 100 years of constant evolution. It is not surprising that during this time many unique designs appeared. It is most convenient to classify the types of seat belts according to the number of fixation points:
- point-to-point;
- three-point;
- four-point;
- five-point;
- six-point.
Now most cars have three-point harness security. They have V arrangement, thanks to which it is possible to achieve an optimal distribution of energy in a collision.
Attention! For the first time, three-point seat belts were installed by engineers Volvo. This happened in 1959. The author of the development is Niels Bohlin.
Perhaps the most famous modification of such a device is the Belt-in-Seat design. In it, the shoulder part of the latch is attached to the back. The first to introduce this technology into production were representatives Mercedes. It happened way back in 1990.
The first car to be sold in the states with BIS technology was the Mercedes-Benz SL. This is a premium car, in which the comfort of passengers and their safety at that time reached an unprecedented level.
Attention! It is believed that BIS technology helps to avoid injury when a vehicle rolls over.
Two point harnesses were created in the first place. True, a hundred years ago it was a simple rope stretched across the driver's belt. Interestingly, after such a long time, this technology is still used, however, in airplanes and for the back seats of cars.
Seat belts with four fixation points can be seen on sports cars. They provide a more secure fixation of the body and much less comfort. Nevertheless, this technology is considered very promising. True, to install the structure in a car, upper mounts are required.
Five-point harness security has also found its way into the sports entertainment industry. They are also used in child seats. In fact, this is a whole set of belts, consisting of many straps.
Attention! One belt in a five-point design goes through the legs, two through the waist, and the same number through the shoulders.
The six-point design is basically the same as the five-point design, but there is another additional seat belt that goes through the rider's legs. As a result, this is the most robust construction.
Separately, it is worth noting that technology does not stand still. New developments in the field of security are constantly being created. One of the most promising is the inflatable belt design. The principle of operation is extremely simple. As soon as an accident occurs, a special chamber is filled with gas. Due to the gas, the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe belt increases. This means that less load is created on the human body, due to a more rational distribution of mass. Also, this design provides additional protection in a side collision.
Attention! The gas cushion is built into the shoulder strap only.
In reality there is whole line interesting concepts which performed well in tests. These include Volvo SCC's criss-cross seat belt device. The 3+2 system deserves special attention. It was developed by Autoliv and provides enhanced rollover protection.
What is the seat belt made of?
The main structure of the seat belt consists of:
- straps;
- castle;
- fastening bolts;
- retractor.
For the production of straps is most often used synthetic material. The main requirement for him is high level strength. The seat belt retractor works on the basis of a ratchet mechanism. Emergency blocking occurs due to the sensitive element.
The basis of the sensitive element is a simple metal ball. When it moves, the coil is fixed by a system of levers. Some designs use a pendulum instead of a ball.
Device inertial belt security can be seen in the video:
Separately, you need to talk about the system responsible for the gradual tension of the tape. This is due to the flywheel. It is mounted on the axis of the coil. This is a small disk that makes the process smooth. But if an accident occurs, a jerk is formed, due to which the disk has to overcome the friction force. In parallel, there is pressure on the helical surface.
Attention! As a result of the actions described above, the disk is displaced and the ratchet is blocked.
The seat belt device helps to ensure the safety of passengers during collisions. But even they have a certain limit of effectiveness. At speeds over 200 kilometers per hour, belts will be of little use.
The bolts in the seat belt device are responsible for reliable fastening the whole structure while driving. They are made of hard alloy that can withstand serious loads. Moreover, they are attached to the car frame to ensure maximum reliability.
Operating rules
At first glance, the seat belt is extremely easy to use. But there are certain nuances, the knowledge of which will allow you to use it as efficiently as possible.
First of all, do not overtighten the seat belt. Of course, this will provide a stronger fixation, but the risk of injury increases several times.
However, too little tension significantly weakens the braking effect of the seat belt device in the vehicle. There is a proven method that allows you to conduct correct setting. It is necessary to make such a tension so that you can put your hand under the belt, and there is a noticeable compression on the brush.
Attention! When setting up the device, it is necessary that you can easily reach all the controls of the car.
Do not, under any circumstances, fasten the harness in a twisted state! It won't provide right level fixation. Moreover, it will be simply inconvenient for you to drive a car.
An important rule operation is that after an accident occurs, the entire fixing device must be changed, including straps and bolts. There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, under strong tension, the tapes lose their properties and strength. Therefore, it is dangerous to continue using them. Secondly, complete replacement must be carried out every 5-10 years due to natural wear and tear.
Attention! Each brand of car is equipped with an original device for fixing the driver and passengers. Do not replace with a cheap analogue.
Operation of seat belts and airbags
As mentioned above, a pillow can only be effective in combination with braces. Moreover, if the driver is not fastened, the airbags may simply not work in the event of a collision.
The straps and the rest of the device, in fact, are one of the elements of the overall safety complex, which should save the life of the driver and passengers, as well as prevent injuries.
If you are not wearing a seat belt, the airbags can cause serious damage when deployed. The fact is that the impact force is not softened by anything, and this will make the collision very hard.
Statistics
If we take into account car statistics an accident, then a fastened shoulder strap saves in 70 percent of cases. In turn, pillows have proven their effectiveness in only 20%.
It is very important that absolutely everything in the cabin is fastened, including passengers in the rear seats. The fact is that with a strong impact, an unfastened passenger will randomly move around the cabin, injuring everyone else.
The use of seat belts can greatly reduce the risk of injury in a collision. Moreover, fastened shoulder straps can save lives. There are many designs that are installed in different types machines. In most cases, manufacturers use a three-point locking system. Although more and more interesting alternatives are appearing, gradually being introduced into life.
Modern cars are distinguished by a huge number of security systems. So, electronics allows you not to lose control over the machine in case of emergency(skid, emergency braking and so on). But not all situations can be avoided. Therefore, in case a collision occurs, elements are implemented in the car passive safety. One of these is the belt. What is it and what types are there? Let's take a look at our today's article.
Characteristic
Belts are the most common element of passive safety. Their main task is to prevent the movement of a person in the event of an accident. The use of a seat belt reduces the risk of injury in a collision, and significantly eliminates the possibility of hitting hard parts of the body and glass.
Few people know, but belts appeared on cars at the beginning of the 20th century. This system "migrated" to cars from aviation. However, at that time it was only available as an option. Most widespread seat belt received after the 50s. And in the USSR, such systems began to appear only with the advent of the Zhiguli. The installation of seat belts is carried out by the factory itself, at the stage of vehicle assembly. Also, the owners are engaged in the installation of so-called sports belts. But more on that later.
About design
The main element of the seat belt is the tape. It is made of dense polyester fibers. Such material is able to withstand significant loads and does not tear. The tape forms a kind of webbing that keeps the driver and passengers in a given position and prevents the risk of displacement in the event of an accident. There are many examples of how unfastened people hit the glass and simply flew out of the cabin. The use of a belt allows you to securely fix the body and prevent accidents.
The design also includes:
- Lock.
- Limiters.
- Belt attachment points. They may or may not be regulated.
- inertial coils.
- Seat belt pretensioner.
These elements differ only in number. However, injury safety depends on this factor. Below we will look at what types of seat belts are.
point-to-point
These are the very first systems that appeared in cars. However, they can still be found today. As a rule, such belts are used for the middle passenger in the back row. The disadvantage of this system is that the length of the tape is not adjustable. Because of this, you have to use a seat belt extension. It is sold separately and costs about $25.
This type belt runs in the passenger's waist area, across the seat. From a security point of view, such a system is ineffective. After all, it holds the body only in the lumbar zone. In a frontal impact, a part of the body will be loose and move forward. The stronger the collision, the higher the risk of spinal injury.
Three-point
It's already over modern look, which is used on both the driver's and passenger's seats. The system provides three fixation points, among which one (the one closer to the top of the rack) has the ability to adjust in height.
The lower part is equipped with a reel for winding the tape. This scheme provides a secure fixation of the body. Fixation is performed on the chest and in the lumbar zone. At the same time, the belt does not restrict movements and is very convenient to use. It is enough to lay it down and fix it at one point on the latch.
Four point seat belt
These are already the sports options that we talked about earlier. The design is used on cars that participate in rallies and circuit races. From a security standpoint, they are the best option. But why is the four-point seat belt so little used? All because of the specifics of use. To fix all the mechanisms, you have to spend a lot of time. IN daily operation this is not necessary, and the three-point ones do their job quite well.
Note that fixing options may be different. But the most popular is two straps with one-piece fastening and one in the lumbar area. The advantage of this scheme is that the vertical tapes are attached directly to the seat, and not to the body.
To use such a belt, you must first throw the vertical elements over your shoulders (similar to putting on a backpack), and then stretch the lumbar and fix it on the latch.
There are also schemes where the vertical tapes can be detached. For this, there is an additional lock and tongues at the ends.
Seat belt anchor
It may be different. If we take into account the majority of cars, fasteners are carried out on body elements. Such a scheme is used in order to ensure that upon impact (when the mechanisms are assigned maximum load) the tape has not fallen off the attachment points. If the fasteners were on a regular seat, it could simply be pulled out. But why is such a scheme practiced on sports chairs? The fact is that the seat itself has a much greater rigidity and all attachment points are pre-calculated for deformation and stretching.
We also note that on trucks a special tape installation scheme is used. Here the belt is pulled out of the seat back.
This is done so that the tape does not go up and down on bumps, since the chair has a separate air suspension. Often this design is used on large buses and main tractors. However, do not assume that it is unreliable. At the factory, engineers carefully calculate these attachment points, so we can say with confidence that such belts are very reliable and safe.
How it works?
We will take three-point systems as a basis, since they are the most common. So, after getting into the car, the driver pulls out the tape and fixes the tongue in the lock. Further inertial coil automatically removes excess. In the event of a collision, the sensors will activate the pretensioner. As a result, the strap will stretch. If the blow intensifies, the torsion bar will come into play. He gradually increases the length of the belt in order to reduce the pressing force on the body. Also note that the belt material itself is stretched upon impact. Despite the density, polyester can lengthen by hundredths of a centimeter. This will soften the inertia.
On older belts (without pretensioners), the reel performs the function of holding a person. At sharp acceleration body is blocked. And then the torsion bar is already in action.
Conclusion
So, we found out what a seat belt is and what types it is. Finally, we note that after a significant impact, belts cannot be reused. After all, the material is stretched and is no longer able to withstand such a load.
Fast child seat belts are rightfully considered one of the most reliable means of transporting babies of any age. Judge for yourself, your car is a source of potential danger even for adults. In the event of trouble on the road, children can suffer even more. To prevent this, consider the pros and cons of the Fast device, as well as its installation in the car.
1 Child safety in daily driving
Everyone who gets into a car automatically becomes more vulnerable to damage. And although every car is equipped with seat belts and airbags, sometimes even they are not able to protect the driver and passengers of the vehicle. In addition, the protection system in the cabin of each car is designed for an average adult. How to prevent injury to a child in a car?
To avoid dangerous situations for children when they are transported by car, the legislation of the Russian Federation and other countries of the post-Soviet space has established certain rules. According to them, small passengers under the age of 12 can be in a car equipped with child restraints. This means that for the safety of children it is not necessary to buy special car seats. An alternative to it is the Fast children's device, which not only has all the qualities of a car seat, but also costs much less than the latter.
2 Pros of children's belts Fest
As you know, the main problem with regular seat belts in the car is its poor placement for children. If you fasten a 5-6 year old baby, the belt will go straight around the neck little passenger. It is not difficult to guess what this is fraught with, especially when you have a fidget in your cabin. To avoid stress on the baby's throat, experts advise equipping the car with Fast belts. They consist of clasps with buttons that are needed to fix the regular belt on the child's chest.
In the vastness of our country, they are produced in two versions. The first is a separate clasp, and the second option is a clasp with additional belts to fix the legs. In the first case, they are intended for children weighing from 19 to 35 kg, and in the second case, for babies weighing 9–18 kg.
Fast baby belts, like other accessories in the car interior, have advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of adapters include:
- compact size belts;
- universality;
- low prices;
- full compliance with GOST No. 41.442005 and all international standards;
- more effective protection child's head
- with an adapter, children can be transported in the front seat of the car.
Indeed, the benefits of using Fast belts are more than obvious. The device has a modest size, which allows you to carry it with you everywhere, even when you and your child get into a friend's car. The adapter can be used for children of all ages and weights. It is much cheaper than any child car seat.
3 Disadvantages of child adapters
Do not forget about the disadvantages of child seat belts. So, in certain cases there is a risk of displacement of the lower part of the belt under the child's body. This is due to the fact that the clasp slightly raises this part of the adapter in relation to the optimal position on the chest of a small passenger. This problem can be solved by using an additional Fast belt. Another disadvantage of the device is the formation of folds in the lower part of the belt. Because of this, the latter is less in contact with the body of the child, increasing the load during an accident.
The third drawback is the limited ability to use child seat belts in older cars. In such cars regular belt security passes only diagonally, without a lower horizontal belt.
The Fast belt does not provide any side protection for the child. As practice shows, it copes much better with this task. baby car seat. Another significant disadvantage adapters is the constant need to prove to the traffic police inspectors that children's belt fully complies with child safety standards in the car.
4 How to choose a child restraint?
The first thing to focus on when buying child adapter is the number of attachment points. If your child is under the age of five, then it is better to buy a three-point seat belt. If your children are older, then you can buy safety belts with two mounts. As for the size of the adapters, here there are some peculiarities when buying. First, you need to pay attention to adapters of moderate length.
The belt should be long enough so that you can see your child in any rear view. Due to the fact that most are selected for installation in car doors, the child should be placed as far as possible from them. Ideally, children should be in the center of the rear seat of the car. Based on this, you need to select the length of the child seat belt. But taking too long a belt is also not worth it, otherwise it will be of little use. The width of the fixture also plays a big role.
It is recommended to buy an adapter with the maximum available width. Such belts are much more effective in holding children in case of sharp shocks of the car. Manufacturing company for domestic market there is only one safety belt for children - this is the company Fast. The products of all other enterprises are either a copy or a fake. Therefore, most experts advise buying adapters for children exclusively from Fast, and always with a certificate and a warranty card.
The study of the consequences of accidents on the roads showed that in the vast majority of accidents, injuries to people arise from impacts as a result of a sharp change in speed during a collision of cars. To prevent this, special restraint systems are provided - seat belts.
Numerous studies have confirmed that the use of seat belts to fasten people in a car can reduce the severity of the consequences of an accident. In particular, observations show: the number of injured drivers and passengers cars, who used belts, decreased by 2.4 times, and the number of deaths - by 3.7 times compared with those who did not use them.
How to use?
The gap (distance) between the belt and the body is essential. With a gap of 200 millimeters or more, the effect of such an application is zero. The point is that with such free position there are cases of diving under it, which can lead to suffocation. The optimal gap is 25 millimeters, that is, a palm should pass between the belt and the body at chest level.
Not so harmless, and in some cases dangerous, is throwing on the belt without closing it, which is often done by both drivers and passengers. A loose buckle in an accident can cause injury to a person sitting next to it.
It is also important correct position driver behind the wheel. If the seat is set to the rearmost position, then it is difficult for the driver using seat belts to reach the ignition switch, he feels constrained and quickly gets tired. It is not safe when the seat is moved to the most forward position: the driver almost lies with his chest on the steering wheel.
It is necessary to ensure that the belt in the free position is not pinched by the door, does not rub against sharp edges in the car, does not get dirty or twisted. A dirty strap loses its elasticity, strength, and if it is twisted, the contact area of the strap with the human body decreases, and this can aggravate the severity of the injury.
If the belt in the car sticks and does not return to its original position when it is unfastened, then the dirt that has formed on it over time is to blame. To get rid of jamming, they need to be washed. For example, I'm on my personal experience I took them off the car and washed everything thoroughly at home (you can soak it overnight). Installed it the next day and everything works fine.
What is the penalty?
From my own experience, I can say that you need to learn how to use seat belts every time you drive. If before most motorists ignored them, they say nothing will happen. Now the fine for driving without a belt is 500 rubles. But it's not about money, it's about safety. Buckle up every day, and after a while it will become a habit. Even when traveling 10 meters, you will buckle up on the machine. This useful habit can save lives.
It is to use seat belts, whether you are a driver or a passenger. Otherwise, it will literally become a matter of life and death.
Since the invention of the automobile in the 19th century, the safety of the driver and passengers has improved significantly. In the 1950s and 60s, seat belts became increasingly common in cars, and airbags were introduced in the early 1970s. Despite some shortcomings, always buckle up - this has saved lives in accidents more than once.
The law is the same for all
Because belts are the single most effective tool to prevent death and injury, their application is included in the law.
adults
The driver and passengers in the front seat must be fastened. The same applies to passengers rear seats if there are belts installed. Use is the responsibility of the passenger.
Children under the age of 12
Children under 12 must without fail be in or booster, according to their weight and age. Other means that can be used are a three-point child seat belt.
What is it for
Thousands of people apparently believe they are immune to the laws of physics and die every day because of it in car accidents because they weren't wearing their seat belts.
When a vehicle is in motion, its passengers and driver are also in motion inside it. In the event that a car stops during a collision, everyone sitting in it will continue to move until something stops them. Seat belts have been designed to stop the movement of passengers inside a vehicle, preventing injury from being hit by a dashboard, as well as ejection through . Indeed, the majority traffic accidents occurs as a result of the fact that a person is thrown out of the car.
Advantages
Seat belts are the first line of defense against injury or death while riding in a car. They are responsible for thousands of lives by restricting passengers from being ejected from a seat or even from a car. These protections are made from special material, distinctive characteristics which is the strength and the ability to stretch so as to disperse energy from a sudden impact, smoothing the effect of impact.
You might think that with the existence of others, belts are already obsolete. But it's proven that they still perform the most important role in security in vehicles. In fact, while airbags increase the effectiveness of seat belts by as much as 40%, they are not as effective on their own.
On the video - why seat belts are needed:
Safety
Of all the accidents associated with car deaths it was estimated that more than 60% of people were not wearing seat belts.
Saving money
Do you want to save 1000 rubles every time you get behind the wheel and stop at the request of a traffic police officer? What if you have a child with you? child seat, such up to 3000 rubles! One piece of advice - buckle up.
Children
Children do not like to sit in their car seats when they are small. Encourage your children to use a child seat belt. Show them that mom and dad buckle up themselves, so they should do the same.
Flaws
While seat belts greatly reduce the risk of death and serious injury, they are unfortunately not perfect. Often they cause injuries associated with the so-called seat belt syndrome. In many cases, its fibers can harm the thoracic and abdominal region. These can be serious cuts and bruises where the belt went, as well as more serious damage internal organs such as rupture of the colon or diaphragm. In some cases, a dislocation of the lumbar vertebrae may occur.
A child's seat belt is at the highest risk of injury, so the occurrence of a child should be carefully monitored, even if at first glance it seems unharmed.
Proper wearing
Using this attribute of security or driving can save your life, but only if you use it properly. How to fasten properly? The belt should go over your shoulder, not under your arm, and it should be as comfortable as possible for your body. If the shoulder belt was not fastened correctly during an accident, it could cause injury to the ribs or injuries to your internal organs. The waist belt should lie low over the hips and not over the stomach.
Here are a few points on how to properly buckle up:
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet on the floor. Pull the strap across your upper body and secure the buckle until it clicks.
- Adjust the shoulder strap to full tension.
Several reasons to buckle up
- This is the law. It may seem banal and obvious, but not using it is against the law. Accidentally or not, if you are stopped without your seatbelt on, you are.
- Windshield . In an accident, the brute force of a collision may cause your vehicle to stop, but your body will continue to move, which can result in a blowout through the glass.
- Airbags are practically useless without seat belts.. When you're in an accident, the airbags deploy, but often people get injured from this. During a collision, your body is thrown onto an open pillow, leaving injuries on your face. The belt will help keep the person in the seat.
- short trips. Do I need to wear seat belts in the city when you leave for the nearest store? Even more reasons for this before other cases. Most accidents happen 40 km from home.
- You cannot control other drivers. You may not buckle up thinking that you good driver. However, you cannot control the actions of other members traffic and it's better to be a law-abiding citizen than to be sorry later.
Video about what seat belts are for:
Wearing a belt should be as frequent as brushing your teeth in the morning, but unfortunately, as statistics show, this is far from the case. Don't let yourself or those who happened to be next to you in the car become another unit in the sad statistics of accidents. Buckle up and remind your friends of this, even if you're just moving from one parking lot to another. Save your health and life and your loved ones.
