Are you getting ready to register a recently-acquired car in your home state? If so, you may know that you need to submit it for a roadworthy test, such as a rego inspection, before you can get that type of paperwork and may be paying attention to certain critical areas to ensure that you pass without issue. As you do so, you may be looking at the condition of your tyres, checking for brake defects and looking at the general condition of the exterior, but you may need to look more deeply elsewhere. Why should you pay particular attention to the condition of your seats and seat belts?
Focus of Attention
Many people do not realise that inspectors look very closely at their seat belts, as they believe the focus of attention is on mechanical issues or bodywork. However, these internal components are crucial in helping to protect the occupants in the event of a collision and the inspector must see that they're mounted correctly and in very good condition.
Connections
In particular, they will look at the function of each seat belt to make sure that it latches and unlatches properly without issue. Any belt that is not fully engaged can be potentially fatal, even in a minor accident, and the latch mechanism must be able to put up with considerable forces.
Good Quality Webbing
Also, the webbing structure has to be in good condition, and if there are any tears or other structural defects, the inspector will not pass the vehicle.
Retractor Efficiency
Next, the technician will have a close look at the belt retractor that is meant to instantaneously lock and keep the occupant in place during an impact. Sometimes this component will be poorly adjusted or will need fine-tuning to make sure that it does not release too much slack at the wrong moment.
Mounting Points
Of course, seat belts are no good at all if they're not correctly mounted. The most effective ones are anchored carefully to the seats, which are in turn securely attached to the frame of the vehicle. Sometimes, a previous owner may have modified the mounting positions, and this can lead to poor geometry.
Satisfying Yourself
Are you happy with the condition of your seats and seat belts? If you're not, you should ask an expert to help you get everything back up to specification, as this is not something that you can simply guess. When you're happy, you can take the vehicle in for your roadworthy inspection with every confidence that it will pass.
