Seat Belts

In an accident a seat belt becomes a life saver. It restrains the wearer and absorbs enormous energy levels.

But wear & tear and abuse all cause the seat belt to deteriorate. It can be caught in doors, trapped under or behind seats, chewed by dogs and misused in many ways.

Resulting holes, cuts, fraying or fluffing all weaken the belt - by up to 70%
The impact in an accident reduces the effectiveness of the belt because it permanently elongates the webbing - by as much as 13%. Following this elongation, the wearer's body would take the full shock load in subsequent accidents - approximately equal to the weight of a three tonne elephant against the belt!

Other parts of the belts become stressed too. They are not always visible. In all cases the complete seat belt must be replaced - but not with a second-hand one. It could mean the difference between life and death.