Why Do Your Seat Belts Lock Up: Causes and Solutions

Have you found that your seat belt keeps locking up too easily? Seat belts sometimes lock because of a collision or sudden braking or acceleration, but there are other situations in which the belts seem to jam.  This is an uncomfortable feeling because you worry about the safety hazards it might cause if it jams in a worse scenario. In this guide, we will give you tips for how to remedy this. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on for a brief breakdown of why seat belts lock up and what you can do about it.

Accidents

Manufacturers designed the seat belt retractor to lock up in severe collisions. This retractor imitates a spool with teeth like the edge of a metal saw. It allows the seat harness to be pulled and adjusted as a passenger wants, but in a real collision, it will lock up to keep passengers safe.

A seat belt retractor works along with a sensor called The Pyro Sensor. When The Pyro Sensor and an airbag light are activated during an accident, the retract-and-extend mechanism jams to hold your position. The jamming prevents you from being thrown forward, so you remain safe. If your seat belt is jammed during a crash, it might be looking out for you.

Faulty Seat Belts

A faulty harness may lock up when you pull it. Have it calibrated or replaced to ensure that it is properly calibrated and not set to be too sensitive for proper functioning. Look for rips or tears in the fabric, too.

Try these steps to determine if your seat belt is broken. Buckle it and confirm that the seat belt indicator turns off. Pull on the strap quickly, and make sure that it locks. If either of these attempts fails, change your seat belt.

Physics

Sometimes the way your car interacts with the world causes the seat belts to lock up. The pendulum in the seat belt is positioned directly below the retractor or spool. Keep in mind that the retractor imitates the spool with a tooth-like edge.   Once you stop your car, the pendulum’s bottom weight causes a reaction that releases the belt, which is spooled on a coil. The weight then retracts the bolt and locks it automatically based on teeth in the spool. 

Another reason that seat belts lock up revolves around centrifugal force and how it locks the belt. In this case, the lever carrying the load is a seat belt, which is attached to the retractor and extended gently. When the retraction occurs suddenly, a sudden jerk pushes the load outward. The lever may be stretched beyond its limits and get stuck.

Conclusion

We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to furthering your understanding of why seat belts lock up. While this may seem like a complicated issue, it’s not something that you won’t be able to handle as long as you know what you’re doing. If the problem is beyond your level of expertise, don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals.

If you want to learn more about seat belts or are in need of seat belt repair services, contact Safety Restore now to find a compatible service for your car! We’re a world leader in post-accident restorations specializing in seat belts and airbag modules. For more information on what we can do for you, visit our website today!