The Evolution of Seat Belts

As automobiles became a fixture of modern life, concerns about the safety of their occupants arose. Seatbelts eventually became a mandatory safety feature in all new cars. They come in many different styles, and function differently depending upon the design of the vehicle.

Seat belts are your first line of defense in the event of an automobile accident. As the body of knowledge concerning automobile accidents has grown and safety regulations have become stricter, seat belts have been improved dramatically to increase their safety.

If you are looking for a safe used car, contact any of the 11 Austin used car dealerships of the Chapman Motor Sales Family.

Types of Seat Belts

Older cars were equipped only with lap belts, which are similar to the seat belts found on airplanes. These belts only secured the wearer’s middle section, meaning in the event of a crash, the passenger’s torso is likely to bend forward, with one’s face striking whatever is in front of them. Worse, these seatbelts were linked with causing the spinal cord injuries, which often led to paralysis.

A sash belt was an improvement over lap belts. Sash belts added a shoulder harness to the lap belts, protecting the passenger from violently jerking forward in a crash. These are similar to modern three-point belts, except instead of being one continuous length of material, they were two separate buckles.

The three-point belt used in most modern autos was originally only used on front seats, while passengers in the back had to rely on lap belts. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that three-point seat belts became common for passengers in the back seats of cars as well.

Specialty seat belts also exist for specific kinds of cars, such as the five-point harnesses used in racecars. It should also be noted that in recent years there are more advanced passenger restraint systems, often utilizing sensors and electronics to trigger particular responses in the event of a collision or sudden deceleration.

Contact Us

If you are in the market for a car, check out the Austin used car dealers of Chapman Motor Sales. We are dedicated to helping our customers find the right car for their needs. Visit one of our 11 Austin-area dealerships, or look through our combined online inventory.