Additional Safety Features
55
Inspection
Failure to properly inspect and maintain
the safety belts can cause serious per-
sonal injury or death.
It is critical that any time a vehicle has
been involved in an accident, the entire
safety belt system must be replaced in
the vehicle (which also includes the
sleeper bunk restraints) if they were in
use at the time of the accident. Failure
to replace the safety belt system may re-
sult in serious injury or death.
A damaged safety belt, whether visibly
damaged or not, could result in serious
personal injury in the event of an acci-
dent. The safety belt systems should be
replaced at least every five years.
Do not bleach or re-dye the color web-
bing because it may cause a severe loss
of belt strength. This loss of strength
could allow the safety belt to break
under stress, thus resulting in severe per-
sonal injury or death.
Check the belts, buckles, latch plates, re-
tractors, anchorages, and guide loops to
ensure that they are working properly. Look
for loose/damaged parts (without disassem-
bling) that could keep the restraint system
from working properly. If the safety belt,
retractor and hardware were in use during a
collision, they must be replaced. The re-
straint system anchorage fasteners must be
replaced if necessary. If there is any doubt
about the restraint system’s effectiveness,
replace the entire safety belt assembly.
