Seat Belt Locked

[Opifex]

Yesterday I had trouble that the rear seat belt had locked and I had to cut it to release the elderly passenger who was on her way home after a stay in hospital and was getting very distressed. She had somehow managed to get the belt round her neck and it was tightening each time she moved. The belt was locked so it couldn't be simply pulled out and we had to cut it to release her.

There hadn't been any bumps that could have triggered the lock and the only oddity was that the road had a steep camber.

Has any other member had this problem?

Does anyone have any ideas why the belt could have locked and how to avoid it happening again?

Also, is there a better way to release a locked belt than cutting it. The handbook says you must let it fully retract but I can't see how you can do this if a passenger's neck is in the way.

[timberwolf]

From the USA Owner's manual. Unbuckle, cut, or death? seem to be the three options suggested by Toyota.

Child restraint lock function belt precautionDo not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt. If thebelt becomes twisted around a child’s neck, it will not be possible to pull thebelt out leading to choking or other serious injuries that could result in death.If this occurs and the buckle cannot be unfastened, scissors should be usedto cut the belt.

[johalareewi]

I have noticed that. Once they have been pulled out so far, they lock and will only go back in. They have to go all the way back in before the lock is released and you can pull them out again. Not easy if there is someone strapped in at the same time. :(

I have not come across this on other cars, only Toyotas.

[Chris Dance]

If my wife is in the back she always has trouble with the seat belt locking. As johalareewi has stated they have to go all the way back in to release the lock. My wife is OK in my neighbours Chrysler; the seat belts do not lock like they do on the Prius. Perhaps Toyota should modify the seat belt lock operation.

[Opifex]

Thanks for the comments, guys.

[Aceshigh84]

Not just Toyota, Honda as well.

I used the function all the time when fitting child seats, once you pull the belt out all the way, wind it round the child seat fittings and then let the rest wind back in that seat isn't going anywhere!

When my wife was in the back she would always manage to engage the mechanism somehow and end up having to undo the belt to reset it.

I'm not trying to undermine the seriousness of the situation in your case, but I suppose Toyota and Honda designers never imagined that an adult would get the belt around their neck so it wouldn't be a problem. And if by chance a child managed it then there should be an adult nearby to either prevent it or get them out. I assume in their eyes the benefit of safer child seat fitting (remember on the most part this was before isofit), outweighs the small occurrence of situations like yours.

[Surv1v0r]

I was rather under the (apparently misguided) impression that seat belts were designed as a safety feature :o

[Cyker]

I came across this issue in my Yaris when I tied down a large box in the back seat with one of the seatbelts; Couldn't get the box out without squashing it and sliding the belt under it!

However, this 'feature' only triggers if you pull the belt to full extension first...

[Opifex]

So you pull out the belt to full extension and then release it round a box, child seat, or child's neck. The item is then caught and if it moves the belt tightens. It will keep a child's seat securely in position but the question is then how do you release it? I really can't see the benefit of it.

[smalltalker]

I found this: http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?topic=32216.5;wap2

It seems that it's done like that to properly secure a child seat using the seat belt.

[johalareewi]

But the problem is, it can also properly secure a person.

My MIL is always doing it because she has to pull the belt a long way out so she can plug it in, then she lets it go and the slack gets taken up but, she often engages the 'safety feature' and finds herself strapped securely to the seat. Cue the Les Dawson jokes...