Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Automatic Seat Belt shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Automatic Seat Belt offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Automatic Seat Belt at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Automatic Seat Belt? Wrong! If the Automatic Seat Belt is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Automatic Seat Belt then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Automatic Seat Belt? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Automatic Seat Belt and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Automatic Seat Belt wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Automatic Seat Belt then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Automatic Seat Belt site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Automatic Seat Belt, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Automatic Seat Belt, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

Automatic seat belts are seat belts that automatically close over riders in a car.

History Automatic seat belts were created to increase safety regardless of user negligence because even when seat belts were available, people often forgot to, or chose not to, use them.

The 1972 Volkswagen ESVW1 Experimental Safety Vehicle presented passive seat belts . Volvo Cars tried to develop a passive three point seatbelt. In 1973 Volkswagen announced they had a functional passive seat belt PDF, Safety sells, Page 50.

One problem identified with the automatic seat belt is that they do not work well with child safety seats. When air bags became mandatory, most vehicles stopped offering automatic seat belts. The biggest exception is the Ford Escort (North American)/Mercury Tracer, as well as a few other models, which continued using automatic safety belts along with dual airbags in the 1995 and 1996 model years.

Types of automatic seat belt systems

• Manual lap belt with automatic shoulder belt — When the door is opened, the shoulder belt moves from a fixed point on a track mounted in the door frame of the car to a point at the end of the track. Once the door is closed, and the car is turned on, the belt retracts along the track to a fixed position at the other end of the track. The lap belt must be fastened manually. A drawback of this system is that many users forget to fasten the lap belt. A special seat belt modification is needed to use child seats in the front seats in vehicles fitted with this type of safety belt system.

• Automatic Shoulder and Lap Belts — This system was mainly used in older General Motors Corporation vehicles. When open, the belts go from a fixed point in the middle of the car by the floor to retractors on the door. Passengers must slide into the car under the belts. When the door closes, the retractors travel down the door. The maneuver required to slide out from these seat belts is awkward, and likely to knock off glasses if the person is wearing them, fortunately the seat belts have normal release buttons that are supposed to be used only in an emergency but in practice are routinely used in the same manner as manual seat belt clasps. Any child safety seats in vehicles using this type of automatic seat belts used must be installed by a dealer.

Problems with automatic seat belts

• The seatbelt is activated by a motor at the base of the Pillar (car) and has a cable wrapped in a hard plastic coating. Over repeated use, the plastic casing cracks and eventually causes the cable to jam, leaving the seatbelt latch halfway in the doorway, rendering the shoulder seatbelt useless and not safely deployed in an impact. Manufacturers who use this seatbelt do not offer a warranty for replacement because of the vehicles age and replacement parts have been known to range around USD$400-$500.

• In a collision where the structural metal surrounding the passenger compartment deforms, causing doors to pop open, this type of seatbelt may not fully keep the front passenger secured inside the vehicle. The collision can be from the front or from the side. There are brackets attached to the inside door jamb that are designed to grab corresponding brackets on the door to prevent the door from opening, but they are not 100% effective, based on the conditions of the collision.

References

Automatic seat belts are seat belts that automatically close over riders in a car.

History Automatic seat belts were created to increase safety regardless of user negligence because even when seat belts were available, people often forgot to, or chose not to, use them.

The 1972 Volkswagen ESVW1 Experimental Safety Vehicle presented passive seat belts . Volvo Cars tried to develop a passive three point seatbelt. In 1973 Volkswagen announced they had a functional passive seat belt PDF, Safety sells, Page 50.

One problem identified with the automatic seat belt is that they do not work well with child safety seats. When air bags became mandatory, most vehicles stopped offering automatic seat belts. The biggest exception is the Ford Escort (North American)/Mercury Tracer, as well as a few other models, which continued using automatic safety belts along with dual airbags in the 1995 and 1996 model years.

Types of automatic seat belt systems

• Manual lap belt with automatic shoulder belt — When the door is opened, the shoulder belt moves from a fixed point on a track mounted in the door frame of the car to a point at the end of the track. Once the door is closed, and the car is turned on, the belt retracts along the track to a fixed position at the other end of the track. The lap belt must be fastened manually. A drawback of this system is that many users forget to fasten the lap belt. A special seat belt modification is needed to use child seats in the front seats in vehicles fitted with this type of safety belt system.

• Automatic Shoulder and Lap Belts — This system was mainly used in older General Motors Corporation vehicles. When open, the belts go from a fixed point in the middle of the car by the floor to retractors on the door. Passengers must slide into the car under the belts. When the door closes, the retractors travel down the door. The maneuver required to slide out from these seat belts is awkward, and likely to knock off glasses if the person is wearing them, fortunately the seat belts have normal release buttons that are supposed to be used only in an emergency but in practice are routinely used in the same manner as manual seat belt clasps. Any child safety seats in vehicles using this type of automatic seat belts used must be installed by a dealer.

Problems with automatic seat belts

• The seatbelt is activated by a motor at the base of the Pillar (car) and has a cable wrapped in a hard plastic coating. Over repeated use, the plastic casing cracks and eventually causes the cable to jam, leaving the seatbelt latch halfway in the doorway, rendering the shoulder seatbelt useless and not safely deployed in an impact. Manufacturers who use this seatbelt do not offer a warranty for replacement because of the vehicles age and replacement parts have been known to range around USD$400-$500.

• In a collision where the structural metal surrounding the passenger compartment deforms, causing doors to pop open, this type of seatbelt may not fully keep the front passenger secured inside the vehicle. The collision can be from the front or from the side. There are brackets attached to the inside door jamb that are designed to grab corresponding brackets on the door to prevent the door from opening, but they are not 100% effective, based on the conditions of the collision.

References