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Since their inception, the importance of seat belt use while driving an automobile has been very publicly discussed and impressed upon drivers. Seat belt use alone can be the difference between life and death in the event of a serious car crash.

Air Bags and Seat Belts

When air bags were first invented, it was thought that they would be an alternative to belts. Manufacturers seemed assured that air bags would make the old belt stand by completely obsolete. But it was soon discovered that the only safe way to drive with an air bag was in conjunction with a sturdy seat belt. Air bags have greatly reduced car crash fatalities, but the number of lives air bags have saved is still nowhere close to the number that seat belts have.

Air bags can actually cause injury or death themselves when used without a belt. If a driver or rider’s head or neck hits the airbag at the wrong angle, they can become paralyzed. Seatbelts keep all passengers in a safe position for when the air bag deploys.

When the Trusty Belt Cannot be Trusted

When you snap your seatbelt into place, you most likely feel a sense of relief and protection. Riding without a belt can feel like running around naked as far as safety is concerned. But in some instances the click that you hear when you put on your belt provides only a false sense of protection.

Over the years, there have been a number of car companies that have produced lines of automotives that contain defective belts. When a belt suddenly comes unbuckled while the car is in motion, it can be the result of either poor design or a manufacturing flaw.

Some belts were not properly tested for effectiveness under collision level forces. They may be acceptable for small collisions, but under the force of a very serious collision, the ones during which you ironically need your seatbelt the most, they fail and unlatch.

Aside from unlatching, some belts fail as a result of torn or ripped webbing. The fibers on a seat belt restraining occupants should be incredibly strong and resistant to great force. If a belt is ripped apart after a crash, something is seriously wrong with the design or manufacturing of the belt. This should never happen, and if it does, the company that manufactured the belt should be held liable.

For more information on faulty seat belts, visit the website of the personal injury lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier.