Seat belt fit — Arkansas Permit Test

Your safety belt should be fastened before the engine is started.

A crash can happen in the first few feet of a trip, even pulling out of a driveway, so the belt has to be on before the car moves.

Your safety belt should be fastened before the engine is started.

Wear the diagonal belt across your upper chest; slipping it behind your back takes away much of its protection.

The shoulder strap holds your upper body back in a crash; without it your head and chest can hit the wheel or dashboard.

Wear a diagonal belt across the upper chest.

If the diagonal strap is uncomfortable, the Arkansas study guide says to buy a padded seat belt cover.

People who find the strap rubs often tuck it away, and a padded cover keeps it where it can protect them.

If the strap is uncomfortable for you or your children, purchase a padded seat belt cover.

Adjust the lower strap so it fits across the upper thighs and not the abdominal region.

The lap belt is built to push crash force into the strong hip bones; across the stomach it can hurt soft organs.

Adjust the lower strap, so it fits across the upper thighs and not the abdominal region.

Sit up straight: slouching or leaning in the seat can make the seat belt rest improperly on the body.

A belt only works if it crosses the right bones, and a slouched body shifts it onto the neck or stomach.

Slouching or leaning in the seat can cause the seat belt to rest improperly on the body.

The farther a driver sits from the dashboard, typically the safer he is in a collision.

Sitting too close leaves no room for the airbag and the belt to slow your body before you hit the wheel.

The farther a driver is sitting from the dashboard, typically the safer he is in the case of a collision.

Seat belts should lie flat; a twisted belt gives the force of a collision less surface area to spread over.

A flat belt spreads the crash force across your body, while a twisted one presses it into a narrow line that can injure you.

If the belts become twisted, the pressure that would occur in a collision has less surface area on which to be distributed.

After you hear the latch click, test the seat belt by tugging on it; if it does not come unlatched, it is secure.

A latch that only looks closed can let go in a crash, and a quick tug shows you before it matters.

Test the belt by tugging on it.

When does the Arkansas study guide say your safety belt should be fastened?

Before the engine is started. A crash can happen in the first few feet of a trip, even pulling out of a driveway, so the belt has to be on before the car moves. Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, p.43: “Your safety belt should be fastened before the engine is started.”