To be pissed off with seatbelts?

[TheAverageJoanne]

I'm clearly doing something wrong as in every car I've had I'm strangled by my seatbelt. It always seems to ride up and find its way around my neck.

What am I doing wrong?

Never had this issue.

Don't you adjust the bit attached to the car?

Around your neck? Do you mean it sits too high and cuts across your neck?

Most cars have adjustable height where the belt goes into the door frame if it's the front seats.
Are you relatively short?

This is still a mans world.

they are designed for men.
Like bricks which fit in a mans hand easily not a woman, architects folios which fot under a mans arm but not a womans, room temperature in offices which is set lower to mens comfort ...

If you’re female it’s because they aren’t designed for you.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/23/truth-world-built-for-men-car-crashes

This is me too. It rubs on my neck. Cars are designed by men for me - not for women. We are far more likely to die in one than a man as it isn’t built for us.

Read Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. It’s an average sized white male’s world.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41104077

Your seat is too low

You're just short. I am just over 5' and have the same problem.

I'm tall and the same thing happens to me, because the belt slides up over my breasts and digs into my neck. They're designed for a flat chest.

I get this, I assume because I am short with very large boobs. Absolutely hate it!

omg yes - i don't have a car anymore but was staying with my mum for a week and was in a car a lot in back seat and the belt cuts into my next too - im obviously too short (5ft)

Never ever had a comfortable one! I’ve bought fluffy pads that go over the seatbelt and stop it digging in, so at least it’s more manageable for longer drives, but it’s obviously not right. When I look over at my DH and see it sitting perfectly straight across his chest, exactly where it’s supposed to, I do wonder how many women these are failing every day.

Seconded!

I had exactly that problem. I'm tall, but have boobs. Would hate to think of the potential consequences in an accident.

I now use a clip to connect the two parts of the seatbelt, which keeps it in front of my chest and not going around my neck.

One like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0B775F73R?psc=1&ref=ppxpoppmobbbasin_title

I'm 5ft 9" and have that problem in some cars - admittedly I have a short torso compared to leg length but its not just a short person issue.

I'm only 5'2 and it does it to me too. I always wear a scarf as it cuts into me. I hate it.

I'm 5'8" so not short but I'm always strangled by my seat belt because it can't sit across my boobs and always rides up.

This is also me and there is also no adjustment where the belt comes out of the side of the car (very basic spec small car - the back windows don't even open properly!). I need to see if I can adjust the height of the seat to see if I can make it any better.

I’m not quite 5ft tall and this happens to me all the time. Think if I were ever in an accident I’d actually be decapitated by the very thing that’s meant to help keep me safe.

I've got one of these booster seats (I'm five foot two)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Medipaq-Contoured-Cushion-Improve-Wheelchair/dp/B00EDLUT8A/ref=sr111sspa?crid=1416SUAL1D0T&keywords=Memory+foam+adult+booster+seat&qid=1690893522&sprefix=memory+foam+adult+booster+seat%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1-spons&sppcsd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Yes. It strangles me but fits neatly over my DP's shoulder.

Are you quite short, especially under 5'?

Have a look and see if there is an adjuster on the car wall where the seatbelt is attached. Often you can move it down. And if you can move the seat that you're sitting on upwards (like a booster seat!) it will help position the belt properly as well.

I think it's something worth paying attention to in test drives when choosing a new car as well. After all the seatbelt is a safety feature, so it's important that it works properly for you.

Be careful about adding any aftermarket clips. The most important part of the seatbelt is the lap belt and this MUST sit on your hips. The shoulder belt is less important. If by pulling the shoulder belt down you pull the lap belt up and away from your hips, this is a serious issue which can result in submarining under the belt. It is better to add a cover to the seatbelt so that it feels less rough against your skin.

Likewise anything which adds slack to the belt or changes the routing into a "Z" shape is a problem. It is better to wear a less-than-perfect fitting seatbelt than to try to adjust it for comfort but make it slack in the wrong place.

Strange. I’m 5ft nothing and they don’t strangle me. I adjust the seatbelt height downwards- which cars have had standard for donkeys years now. Are you not adjusting your seat belts?