Even if you drive a lot, you probably never noticed it: the small loop that is attached to some seat belts. In most cars, there is the extra fabric on the passenger seat belt, but it is absent on the driver’s seat belt. You can find out why here.
Whether it’s a sports car, SUV or city car: many cars have a special feature on their seat belts that is intended to make everyday driving safer.
This is a small fabric loop that is attached below the belt buckle. However, this is only attached to the seat belts of the front passenger and is missing from the belt on the driver’s side. Reader’s Digest interviewed an expert about her role.
Loop on the safety belt: It serves this purpose
Jake McKenzie, Content Manager at Auto Accessories Garage, clarifies and reveals that the loop is what is known as an energy management loop. “It’s designed to rupture under heavy loads,” says McKenzie, noting the loop can “cushion the shock of an impact by a few inches and help keep the passenger safe.”
This means that if your car is involved in an accident, the stitching of the loop will tear and the strap will increase by a few centimetres. This can cushion your impact and, at best, prevent more serious injuries.
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That’s why there is no loop on the driver
According to Grant Clelland, IT consultant and tech expert at Infiniti Tracking, there are other practical functions that the loop brings: On the one hand, it prevents the belt buckle from slipping down and always being in the same place. On the other hand, it prevents the buckle from hitting the inside of the car when moving and possibly causing unsightly scratches on the fittings or the paneling.
If the loop provides more security, why isn’t there one on the driver’s side? McKenzie explains, “On the driver’s side, it’s even more important to secure the driver because hitting the head with the steering wheel can be fatal.” It is therefore important in this case that the seat belt does not widen, thereby reducing the risk of a life-threatening impact.
Important to know: not every car model has such a loop on its belts. That doesn’t mean, however, that harnesses without the extra fabric are less protective. The various manufacturers, on the other hand, rely on different functions with which you are protected in the event of an accident and get to your destination safely.
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