Still too few seat belts in agricultural vehicles

Vehicle crashes often end in serious injury and even death, and wearing a seat belt can reduce the likelihood of tragic accident consequences in many cases, the BUL writes in a statement. BUL's crash surveys for last year found that eight people lost their lives due to vehicle crashes. With the awareness campaign launched in 2020 "Got it yet?", the advisory service therefore continues to advise farms to retrofit seat belts in agricultural vehicles.

When retrofitting seat belts, however, there are a number of things that need to be taken into account, the BUL continues. For example, there are two systems for seat belts: The ALR and ELR systems. The ARL system automatically locks the extended belt at the required length, and extending the belt is only possible when the belt is unfastened. According to BUL, the ALR system provides a very secure hold and is particularly suitable for slopes. In contrast, the ELR system offers more freedom of movement because it blocks the belt only after a certain inclination and/or acceleration. However, the ELR system has only limited suitability for slopes.

In any case, it is advisable to leave the installation to a specialist, as a seat belt is a safety component and must be installed correctly. A specialist would also be in a better position to assess whether the seat might also have to be replaced if the existing seat did not have any attachment points and retrofitting with a seat belt was therefore not justifiable.

The BUL also appeals to plant managers to set a good example and regularly remind employees of the obligation to wear seat belts.

Source: BUL