Debunking 7 myths around safety belts

Henry Ford invented the automobile. Vikings wore horned helmets. And the Great Wall of China is visible from space. These three claims are all myths, widely believed but incorrect. A myth can be made up for various reasons, but very often it’s created around something we find fascinating. And few things are more fascinating than our very own world-famous safety belt and the story around it. At least that’s what we think here at Volvo Cars.

In 1959, the three-point safety belt as we know it today was first introduced by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin as standard in our PV544 model. To enable everyone to benefit from it, the patent was given for free to the world.

Very soon, the three-point safety belt could be found in virtually every car worldwide. The rest is history, as they say. To this day, the invention has saved more than a million lives. Despite this, the safety belt is still subject to myth-building that can lead to misunderstandings about its importance and effectiveness.

In this article, we debunk a few of the more widespread myths by bringing some hard facts to the table.

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Myth #1: In some situations, it is safer to travel without the safety belt.
False. Everyone in a car needs to wear a safety belt. Children over the age of four and up to approximately 140 cm and 10 years need to use it in combination with a booster cushion/seat, lifting them to a position where the safety belt works best. Wearing a safety belt significantly reduces the risk of injury in the event of a crash by directing the forces to the stronger body parts. It helps keep everyone securely in place, preventing them from being thrown around inside the car or ejected from it.

Myth #2: Wearing the safety belt too close to your neck is not good.
False. Wearing the safety belt against your neck may be uncomfortable, but it is not dangerous. If possible, you can try to adjust the safety belt using the shoulder belt height adjuster or change the position of your seat to improve comfort. If you or your passengers sit in the rear seat, consider sliding somewhat sideways, or simply place some cloth between your neck and the safety belt. Never place the shoulder belt under your arm or off your shoulder. In a crash, it needs to rest on your collarbone to protect you properly.

Myth #3: Wearing the shoulder belt behind the back is perfectly fine.
False. If you only use the lap part of the belt, your upper body and head are not protected properly in the case of a crash. Plus, there's a higher risk of hurting your lower back, similar to what happened with the old 2-point belts.

Myth # 4: Pregnant women need to use an extra device with their safety belt to get enough protection.
False. In the best case, using an extra device will not influence safety, but some devices may actually pose an increased risk to the pregnant woman and the foetus. A far better idea is to make sure to position the lap belt below the belly, fitting low and snug across the hips. Do not attach anything to your safety belt.

Myth #5: You always need to take off your bulky jacket when using a safety belt.
False. You normally don’t need to take off any clothes to stay safe in the car. However, if you wear a thick jacket, just make sure to open it so that both the shoulder and lap belts are positioned directly against your body, not the jacket.

Myth #6: If the belt is too close to my neck, it is safer to route it outside the shoulder, down the arm.
False. Always make sure that the shoulder belt is placed on your shoulder, optimally in a mid-shoulder position. If it feels uncomfortable against your neck, try adjusting the safety belt using the height adjuster or change the position of your seat. Never place it under your arm or off your shoulder.

Myth #7: You don’t need to adjust the safety belt after buckling up.
It depends. It's good for everyone to tighten the belt to remove slack, although the belt pretensioner (if available) will also tighten the safety belt in a crash. If you're wearing bulky clothes, make sure to open them so that neither the shoulder nor the lap belt sits against the clothes but against your body. If you have a big belly, make sure the lap belt is positioned below your belly on your hip bone to transfer the load to the strong hip bone instead of the soft belly.

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Fact box
How to use the safety belt correctly

1. Buckle up and tighten the belt by pulling just above the buckle.
2. Ensure the belt is not twisted and lies flat against your body; open any bulky clothing.
3. Check that the lap belt sits low across your hips, not on your belly. Adjust if needed.
4. Ensure the shoulder belt is positioned across your chest and over your shoulder, preferably in a mid-shoulder position.