After almost a decade of use of three-anchor point safety-belts,
further improvements in the systems can only be achieved in small
steps. The paper investigates the effect of safety-belt-, vehicle-
and passenger-parameters on the effectiveness of the belt system.
Individual topics include passenger position, tenseness of belts,
effect of other passengers, location of belt anchors, and collision
processes. Safety evaluation criteria are also discussed.
The discussions indicate areas of improvement for current
passenger-restraint systems and related vehicle components.
Moreover, the beneficial aspects of greater use of seat-belts are
undisputed; before other, more costly passenger-safety measures
(e.g., speed limitation devices) are implemented, their
effectiveness should be investigated and compared with the
potential of greater belt use. Alternative belt systems, such as
passive safety-belts, offer hope for more universal use.