Pretensioner Units are Key to Proper Seat Belt Operation
Automobiles have many different safety systems installed as standard parts of modern vehicles, from front and side airbag systems to seat belts, anti-lock braking devices, and state-of-the-art driving assistance systems that help us keep our vehicles safely on the roadways. When we hear that a vehicle we’re purchasing has either the latest electronic safety feature as an optional add-on or a mandatory safety item like seat belts, most people assume that all the parts necessary for that system to work properly are included. One instance where that is too often not the case is the presence (or lack) of seat belt pretensioners being attached to all the seat belts in a vehicle. The lack of pretensions can and should be looked on as a type of seat belt defect in vehicle design.