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What is the loop on a seat belt for?

I’ve never noticed it in any of my previous cars, but I was looking at the seat belt in my current vehicle and noticed an extra loop on it. What is this for?

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Andrea Barrett · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Most people think the tiny bit of extra fabric is just for convenience, but it’s a car safety feature that actually serves a purpose! The loop on a seat belt is for absorbing some of the energy and dissipating some of the impact during a crash.
It’s called an energy management loop and is specifically designed to break under extreme stress, as you’d experience in a collision. If you’re involved in an accident, the seat belt undergoes immense pressure, which causes the threading in the loop to rip, and the loop will unfold. Although a relatively simple action, it provides a few extra inches to the seat belt that can absorb more energy, keep you safer, and reduce injury.
While most new vehicles have this loop, not all older models do.
And while having this fabric loop proves handy in the event of an accident, so does having a good
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