Am I a weird shape? (Seatbelt related).

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

Seatbelts strangle me. Every time.

I spend car journeys constantly rearranging the thing so I don’t get throttled.

Today we were driving home and I was holding a large McDonalds order so could not rearrange the seatbelt. By the time we were home (about two miles) I had a red mark on my neck (probably not helped my me trying to move the fucker with my chin) and I was all stressed from my attempted garrotting.

I’m 5’4”. I am overweight but this has happened to me at all sizes - from a 10 to a 20.

It happens in EVERY car.

Is it me? Am I weird?

No. They’re tested on adult males. If your shape doesn’t match, they don’t fit the best. The type of car you’re in makes a difference too, and where the belt points are.

Same here. I’m 5ft 3 and it drives me insane! I am considering a booster seat.

Yes you are the very strange shape of "perfectly normal shaped woman". It's a mystery how many products could possibly be made to fit such a strange shape.

Some seatbelts can be adjusted to a lower height so double check yours.

Adult seatbelts in the front often have an adjustable slider up the top to lower the belt, you should have a look nice time you are in a car and adjust it downwards.

As PP said, they are tested on adult males, I'm 5ft and some makes and models come up to my bloody ear.

Not just you. We're living in a man's world.

I'm the same - petite and even adjusted to the lowest setting they still end up on my neck. I've got an elastic band around mine now to hold it to the right height because constantly pulling it off my neck didn't feel very safe!

I'm 5'6" and have the seat belt adjusted to the bottom of the slider. It still strangles me.

It's not just women being shorter - I have these weird things called 'boobs' that apparently the car designer had never seen or heard of. So the belt is constantly sliding to one side or the other if my torso rather than sitting neatly and centrally across my chest.

My friend had a car where the seat belts are attached to the shoulder of the seat rather than the door pillar. Absolutely fabulous, no neck sawing at all.

You need to lower it on the slider- made a massive difference when I did this

You at not alone! I bought one of these for the kids and now they are bigger I use it myself!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285906169568?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=1381527d7d5a108193e235f28b84a7ae

Never had the issue. I'm 5 foot 1 but have a normal length torso and very short legs so that's probably why!

You should read Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez.

Same here. I’m 5’6” and constantly have a raw neck. I wrap the belt in a nice soft scarf.

I was coming to say this! She talks about this exact issue in her recent podcast www.tortoisemedia.com/listen/visible-women/deadly-injustice-why-cars-arent-safe-for-women?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

I'm 5ft and have specific bras to wear for long car journeys...ones that provide a clear resting gap for the belt to sit in between my boobs. If I get the position right my boobs stop me from being strangled by the seatbelt.

Driving in my sports bra is awful because it gives me mono-boob which means I spend most of the journey with a seatbelt against my neck.

I get really annoyed by this, they are built to suit men but it's not as though I get a discount for having to buy something not built to suit me. I have a little callous on my neck because of the seatbelt resting against it. The only time I haven't had a problem was in a Fiat 500 which I suspect is thought of as a women's car.

Winter is a bit better than summer because I can usually pull a layer of out clothing up so that it's between my neck and the belt, eg a collar or hood.

Yes, I have one too - I am not even especially short at 168cm but it's having breasts that seems to be the issue.

And it's not even funny, women are more likely to be injured because of the ill fit.

Most of the cars I have been in have adjustable height seatbelts in the front seats. Can you rearrange it?

We bought a car a few years ago with a fully adjustable front seat, means I can raise the seat up so the angle is correct.

seatbelts are designed to save men’s lives, it’s really not designed to save women.

If you're short enough they don't really help.

I am 5'5" and also have this problem it's annoying , uncomfortable and dangerous.

Seat belts made for men not women

Yeah- I pump the seat right up and slide the seat belt adjuster right down and just about manage.