The button on the seat belt has always attracted everyone’s attention, especially children who somehow play with it. Someone even managed to detach it.
Although we have all noticed it, also because it is impossible not to, no one has ever really inquired about what his role is.
As with the seat belt button, it also happens with many elements that we have in the house, for example with the drawer under the oven, the handles on the passenger side in the car, the hooks placed under the handles or the rearview mirror lever.
Seat belt, mandatory since 1988
The seat belt in Italy it has been compulsory since 1988, the first model was patented in 1903 but at the time, it was totally useless since the speed that the cars of the time could reach was really low. In addition, the belts at the time were uncomfortable because they were made of leather and they put too much pressure on the chest. They ended up hurting rather than protecting.
Czechoslovakia in 1969, instituted the obligation of the seat belt, immediately afterwards also France even if about 4 years had to pass to arrive at this result. The obligation in Italy came in 1988, only for those who were driving and for the passenger alongside. Then it also interested the passengers sitting in the back seats, forced to wear it starting from 2006. Today, anyone who does not respect this law must pay a fine ranging from 80 to 323 euros.
The components of the seat belt, that’s what the button is for
Seat belts are made of flexible material, which hold the passenger in place, should an impact of any magnitude occur. The belts are cut resistant. They have a winder that allows the belt to be extracted and put back in its place when it is no longer needed.
Then there is the anchor that keeps the belt secure and a ring that connects them to the point where it stops. Then a button that according to many is useless but that in reality it has a particular function that is certainly important and necessary. This button was not inserted for beauty, it is not a design element that you can do without.
It is used to keep the buckle from slipping away and thus allows the seat belt to save our lives in the event of an accident. A single button has avoided real tragedies over the years, which is why it is recommended, as well as mandatory wear a seat belt, even for short journeys, both being seated in front and behind, in compliance with the law. Not so much for an economic issue, but for personal safety reasons.
