A car seatbelt extender can come in handy if you often find it hard to buckle up in the seat or your current belt is too short to around you or your passenger’s body.
For the past several years, seatbelt extenders have usually been advertised as a convenient tool to make buckling in easier for kids, pregnant women, obese people, and others. But a lot of people cannot help but question their safety.
This is no surprise, considering that while these solutions claim to be helpful, some users have reported that extenders only caused serious injuries and worse, even death.
So, what is the real truth, then? Read on to learn more about seatbelt extenders.
Table of Contents:
Purpose of Car Seatbelt Extender
Seatbelts are safety devices in vehicles that secure and protect drivers and passengers from risky movements that may occur during collisions and accidents. But what about during those times when you can’t use a traditional seatbelt?
Safety-certified car seatbelt extender helps you ride comfortably again.
This is where seatbelt extenders enter the picture, serving as an additional piece that can lengthen the seatbelt. The main principle here is to make life easier and more convenient for people with larger builds who can’t use standard belts.
A car seatbelt extender is not generic and comes in different sizes. Typical seatbelt extenders often have a universal length of 24 inches. These can also be either rigid or flexible in construction.
When to Use and Not to Use Seatbelt Extenders
Seatbelt extenders are useful vehicle accessories that can guarantee the comfort and safety of drivers and passengers. But it’s important to keep in mind that these can only be used by adults in car seats under specific scenarios and circumstances.
There are only a few applications when seatbelt extenders are considered perfectly safe to use. First is airplane and car seats that already feature factory-fitted seatbelts that adhere to existing standards.
Understanding car seatbelt extender types – watch the video to learn more!
These extenders are also perfect for adults who are obese, have a bigger build, or have physical disabilities or limited mobility that regular-length seatbelts cannot accommodate.
Lastly, a car seatbelt extender must only be used if there is an original product from a reliable manufacturer that meets the regulations and federal standards declaring and confirming its safe usage.
On the other hand, seatbelt extenders are considered unsafe for use for children, child car seats, or booster seats, pregnant women unless the size of their body doesn’t allow buckling of the seatbelt and adults without a valid need for extenders.
Use Seatbelt Extenders Only If Needed
While a car seatbelt extender does serve its unique purpose, at the end of the day, it is important to remember to use it correctly at all times. These devices are only safe to use if used properly and are matched appropriately to the car where it is being used. If you feel like you need to use an extender, make sure that you buy one that is compatible with your car to make the most out of this accessory.
