Many drivers pay attention to performance aspects of car maintenance by regularly checking the oil and adjusting their tyre pressure.
However, something that is often overlooked is the upkeep of your car safety features.
This blog breaks down the safety elements of seat belts, airbags and wiper blades.
Because there’s a lot to know about preserving the safety of your car.
Seat belts
A faulty seat belt can mean the difference between minor and major injury in an accident.
Your seat belt is designed to work in a crash only once. When impact occurs, the webbing extends without snapping. This flexibility absorbs the deceleration forces in an accident, meaning that occupants take less of the hit. However, once the belt has stretched it loses its flexibility permanently, reducing the belt’s ability to keep you safe.
For this reason, it is important to always consult your mechanic after an accident.
But it is equally important to have your seat belts inspected regularly. Age, nicks and general wear and tear can all cause a seat belt to become ineffective.
Signs of a faulty seat belt include:
- Nicks in the webbing of the belt
- Webbing damage
- Faulty buckle
- Malfunctioning retraction mechanism
- Excessive wear and tear
- Buckle sitting low in the seat
If you have any doubts about your seat belt condition, always have it checked out by a mechanic.
Fun Fact:
Nihls Bohlin invented the three point seat belt for Volvo in 1959. Rather than keeping the rights to the design, Volvo released the patent for free, surrendering a potential opportunity to make a lot of money.
At the time, Volvo’s managing director, Alan Dessell, commented that:
“The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety.”
An admirable move that has undoubtedly saved many lives!
Air bags
Like seat belts, the air bags in your car are only designed to be effective once. After an accident, it is important to have these vital safety features inspected and replaced by your mechanic.
However, an equally important consideration in the world of air bags is who they are used on – particularly in the front seat.
Front air bags are designed for adults. They deploy at a height and force that can be dangerous for children, and actually do more harm than good.
In Queensland, the law reflects this risk to an extent. This table from RACQ outlines the rules surrounding the seating of children in your car.
| Age | Notes |
| 0 – 4 years | Queensland law requires that children be seated in a rear seat unless the vehicle has only one row of seats (such as a single cab utility). |
| 4 – 7 years | Children may be seated in the front if the vehicle has only one row of seats, or if all the seating positions behind are occupied by children under 7. |
| 7 – 16 years | Children may ride in the front seat. |
Table credit: http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars/safer_cars/child_restraints/when_children_are_permitted_to_ride_in_the_front_seat
Keep in mind, however, that even children over 7 years old can be too short to safely ride in the front seat of a car with front air bags. We strongly advise referring to the car and air bag manufacturer recommendations when making a decision about where to seat your child. If in doubt, always choose the back.
Fun fact
The air bag was originally invented as a substitute for seat belts rather than an additional safety feature. According to the inventor, seat belts were just too uncomfortable!
Wiper blades
Windscreen wiper blades are often looked over in the realms of car safety. But try driving in the rain without them!
They wash away dirt, mud, rain and sometimes snow – and yet they are one of the least durable part of your car.
In general, wiper blades need changing every 6 to 12 months. The climate of your location, where you park your car and the extent of use will all play a part in their longevity.
How do you know when your blades need changing?
When in use:
The blades are skipping, streaking squeaking or splitting when they run across your screen, as visible in the below diagram
Image credit: http://www.rainx.com/tips-information/wiper-blade-maintenance-tips/
Upon inspection you find:
Broken or detached at the connection points.
Corrosion of the metal, most common around claws and joints.
Tears or cracks in the rubber edges of the blade.
Rigid rubber – the squeegee should be flexible.