Safety Belts

In some states safety belt use is mandatory. A lap/shoulder belt combination provides the best protection. Lap belts should fit snugly across the pelvis, not across the abdomen. Most shoulder belts can be adjusted to comfortably fit people of different heights. Even if you're wearing a shoulder belt in a serious crash, it's possible the belt allows enough movement so that you strike the steering wheel or dashboard.

Two innovations, automatic crash tensioners and belt webbing grabbers, can help prevent this. Tensioners actually react to crash situations and tighten belts to prevent injuries. Webbing grabbers clamp the belt outside the reel.