Drivers and passengers are continuously cautioned and taught to wear their seatbelts when in any motor vehicle. Just how safe is your seatbelt? As with any product, there are times when a seatbelt will fail, and the protection they are supposed to provide leaves someone injured or killed.
Seatbelts that are Defective
A few reasons for seatbelt failure, and/or defects include:
- The buckle releases the latch plate in a collision; referred to as “inertial latching.”
- Defective retraction of the seatbelt referred to as “skip locking,” meaning the lock bar failed.
- Defective webbing or material used in the seatbelt construction.
- Defective seatbelt anchors.
Seatbelt Safety
While seatbelt failures do occur, hundreds of lives could be saved each year if seatbelts were worn by drivers and passengers in the correct manner as noted below:
- Always tighten your seatbelt as tightly as possible to prevent your body from being tossed around should an accident occur.
- Adjust the diagonal strap so that it rests on your shoulder instead of your neck.
- Make sure the lap belt portion lies directly over the pelvic region of your body.
- Never prevent the seatbelt from tightening in order to prevent your clothes from wrinkling; better to have wrinkled clothing than lost limbs or lives.
Defective Products Representation in Hillsborough, FL
Bryan Caulfield, Hillsborough, FL Defective Products Lawyer, will gladly review your case regarding a seatbelt failure in an automobile accident. Contact Bryan Caulfield today for a free consultation.