Seatbelt Question

nanker

The inertia seatbelt in the back of my car seems a little too sensitive so as to hold me in place and give me no movement at all. I can't reach the seatback pocket in front of me or lean across to attend to my baby in her car seat. After a few minutes, it is quite uncomfortable and I struggle to even unclip myself.

I asked for it to be looked at under warranty when I got the car serviced, but the receptionist advised me that this was normal for any seatbelt that a child seat could be used with. She must be talking rubbish don't you think?

Any way, got the car back, problem still present. Forgot to ask about it when I picked the car up as other items had arisen during the service. I'm not even sure that it was looked at as there was a blank space where it reads "any other work requested by customer"

Any comments or advice greatly appreciated

logana

nanker wrote: »

I can't reach the seatback pocket in front of me or lean across to attend to my baby in her car seat. After a few minutes, it is quite uncomfortable and I struggle to even unclip myself.

Seatbelts are designed to hold you in place - not allow you free movement to reach across to the other side of the car to attend to a baby. Why are you unclipping yourself - no doubt to "attend to your baby".....fine but since it an offence to not wear a seatbelt where one is fitted in the rear of a car.....

If the seatbelt allowed you sufficient movement to reach over to the other side of a car it would be of little use if the car was involved in an accident or even had to brake suddenly.

The receptionist probably is not talking rubbish.

nanker

Are you sure logana? Perhaps I didn't explain clearly enough. I know they are designed to hold you in place, but every other car I have been in allows you some movement, the same as up front. I was under the impression that inertia seatbelts held you tight when you move suddenly, hence the name. Why would a car have seatback pockets if you cannot reach them?

I only want to unclip myself when the journey is over, not whilst moving, but by then I am literally pinned to the seat and my husband has to release me.

AdrianHi

I have found that some cars I have had are very sensitive as you describe and others not.
My previous car locked the seat belts so easily I used to have a right nightmare strapping an infant carrier plus baby into the car in the first place. The belt would lock half way through the operation and I'd end up half tipping my son out the seat to disentangle it and start again.
No problems with the current two cars in the family.
May be sit in the front of the car so you don't feel tempted to "attend to" baby . I don't recall it being necessary to attend to either of our boys as babies that often and when something did need doing it was a case of stopping the car to do it, feeding, nappies etc.

anewman

If you have a bit of a large waist size, this would take up all the slack in the belt. Particularly as rear belts are often smaller than front ones. Not trying to be offensive, I'm no slim jim myself and I don't know you - just one thought on a possibility.

Other thing is to move slowly. I believe modern seat belts are wound back in to take up slack in the event of impact (I think this is called pre-tensioners).

Viper_7

Most modern seatbelt systems these days also lock when your moving, especially when going around corners - this is the inertia bit. They also tighten in an impact - the pre-tensioning system mentioned earlier.

Once not moving aye any sudden movement will causes the seatbelt to lock.

If the seatbelt is pulled out a long way and then allowed to retract a little, some systems don't let you pull it out again until you retract it all the way. This is where you may be coming unstuck.
I have actually had to take a rear seatbelt apart to get the child seat out. The belt had literally locked and would not not allow me to pull the belt out an inch in order to get it over the arms of the chair. The manufacturer confirmed that it had to be totally retracted before it could be pulled out again as it had been withdrawn all the way ( to enable the seat fitment)

Vipes

nanker

Thank you for your comments so far guys.

AdrianHi, by "attend" I mean only to put a dummy back in or pass a juice bottle or toy to when she is crying. I prefer to sit in the back as there is loads of space back there when the front seat is pushed forward, and I feel cool back there behind my tinted windows:cool:

anewman, no offense taken. I am medium build. There is plenty more slack available when belting up, but once buckled I am very firmly in place. I can't move forward however slowly I move, even when the car has stopped! It just doesn't feel right at all.

anewman

Can only assume it's a "safety feature" doing it's job.

lindseykim13

are all the other seatbelts the same in the car? ie. pin you in?
if not i would get it checked out as they wouldn't fit one extra safe one lol

vaio

I think it’s a fault and I’d take the car back and get them sorted out.

Modern seatbelts should allow free gentle movement and only lock up if tensioned suddenly. Furthermore, they should release under all circumstances, as I recall the ability to release when locked & pulled tight is part of the MOT test.

nanker

No, the ones in the front allow you movement, to get something out of the glovebox or to scratch your foot or whatever. I don't know about the other one in the back though as the child seat is fixed in there. I shall swap it over tomorrow so i can test it. Good question.