If your shoulder restraints hit your ear or neck, what should you do?

• A. Ignore it
• B. Adjust the height of the safety belts
• C. Shorten the belt
• D. Use a different restraint

Answer: (B)

A seat belt’s shoulder portion is meant to rest over your shoulder and across your chest, not press on the neck or sit against the ear. When the strap hits the ear or neck, it isn’t properly positioned, which can reduce its ability to restrain you and increase the risk of injury in a crash. The fix is to use the belt’s height adjustment to reposition the upper anchor so the strap lies on the shoulder and across the chest. After adjusting, check that the belt stays in place as you move and doesn’t rub the neck or face. If the belt can’t be positioned correctly with the height adjustment, you may need a different restraint to fit you safely, but usually adjusting the height solves the issue.