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Seat belt buckles |
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In some cars the seat belt buckles are set low down in the seats' upholstery and close to the backrest.
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These buckles work well with both forward...
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... and rear facing car seats.
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However, in some cars the buckles are much longer, and mounted further along the seat away from the backrest.
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Buckle crunch and forward anchorage are more common in forward facing car seats, because the belt path is usually low down and the backrest can be quite thin.
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Buckle crunch and forward anchorage are rarely an issue in rear facing seats where the belt path is much higher and further forward.
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Buckle crunch and forward anchorage
In some cars like the Ford Focus pictured here, the seat belt buckles sit low down in the seat's upholstery and are close to the backrest. The position of these buckles is ideal for installing a car seat and won't cause any problems. However, the buckles in the other car, a Toyota Estima, are much longer and are positioned a bit further forward away from the backrest. Buckles that are long like this can cause buckle crunch*, and when they are too far forward they can cause forward anchorage**.
*Buckle crunch is where the buckle strap is so long that the buckle rests on the plastic frame of the car seat and lies where the seat belt should be. When the buckle lies in the car seat's belt path it is not always possible to pull the seat belt tight enough and the car seat may wobble. There is also a risk that the buckle may shatter in a crash.
**Forward anchorage means that the lap belt doesn't hold the car seat tight against the vehicle's backrest, allowing too much forward movement.
A car seat should be as tight as possible, so if forward anchorage causes your car seat to move or if your long buckles are in the belt path, it means that that seat is not suitable for your car. Buckle crunch is most likely in car seats with a low lap belt path, and forward anchorage is most common in forward facing car seats that have a relatively thin backrest. Ideally the belt path should be quite high and far forward. Buckle crunch and forward anchorage can occur in rear facing car seats, but are more common in forward facing ones.
*Buckle crunch is where the buckle strap is so long that the buckle rests on the plastic frame of the car seat and lies where the seat belt should be. When the buckle lies in the car seat's belt path it is not always possible to pull the seat belt tight enough and the car seat may wobble. There is also a risk that the buckle may shatter in a crash.
**Forward anchorage means that the lap belt doesn't hold the car seat tight against the vehicle's backrest, allowing too much forward movement.
A car seat should be as tight as possible, so if forward anchorage causes your car seat to move or if your long buckles are in the belt path, it means that that seat is not suitable for your car. Buckle crunch is most likely in car seats with a low lap belt path, and forward anchorage is most common in forward facing car seats that have a relatively thin backrest. Ideally the belt path should be quite high and far forward. Buckle crunch and forward anchorage can occur in rear facing car seats, but are more common in forward facing ones.
The buckle touching the side of the car seat is fine. As long as it is flat and doesn't bend into the belt path it is not buckle crunch.
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