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- Do not wear the belt over hard or fragile ob
jects (such as glasses or pens, etc.) because
this can cause injuries.
- Loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat
over a jacket) impairs the proper fit and
function of the belts.
- The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the
retractors may not work properly
¢
tab. Cleaning the interior on page 265.
- The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be
blocked with paper or other objects, as this
can prevent the latch plate from engaging
properly.
- The latch plate of the belt must always be
engaged in the correct buckle for that seat,
otherwise the belt will not be fully effective.
- Check the condition of the seat belts at reg
ular intervals. If you notice that the belt
webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or
buckle of any of the belts is damaged, the
belt must be replaced by a qualified work
shop.
- The seat belts must not be removed or
modified in any way. Do not attempt to re
pair a damaged belt yourself.
- Seat belts which have been worn in an acci
dent and stretched must be replaced by a
qualified workshop. The belt anchorages
should also be checked.
Forces acting in a
collision
Seat belts
The physical principles involved in a frontal
impact
Very large forces are generated during a colli
sion; these forces have to be absorbed.
Fig. 189
Passengers of a vehicle which is headed for a
brick wall. They are not using seat belts.
Fig. 190
The vehicle crashes into the wall
The physical principles involved in a frontal colli
sion are relatively simple:
Both the moving vehicle and the passengers pos
sess energy, which is known as "kinetic energy"
¢
Fig. 189.
The amount of "kinetic energy" de
pends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight
of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the
speed and the greater the weight, the more ener
gy there is to be absorbed in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles from
25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic en
ergy increases by a factor of four. Because these
passengers are not restrained by seat belts, the
entire amount of kinetic energy has to be absor
bed at the point of impact¢
Fig. 190.
This would
result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
..,.
231
