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And if they’re not a pain in the neck then they’re a
pain in the chest.  For shorter people, like myself,
big-busted women, or overweight individuals, seat belts can
be so uncomfortable.  Skipping the seat belt altogether is a
risk to my life but wearing an uncomfortable seat belt is
annoying and distracting enough to cause an accident. 
I’ve tried putting the shoulder strap underneath my arm
until I found out that it was illegal in some places
(apparently the seat belt won’t function properly).  Any
suggestions as to what I can do?

I would agree that seat belts can be a pain in the neck
especially for someone like me 
who's a big-busted woman with an almost matching waist
line. However, if I hadn't worn one when I was hit from
behind by a Dodge Durango who was stopped behind me and hit
by an 18-wheeler, then I would have been in a LOT more pain
than I was. 

Anyway, now that I'm completely OT (Off Topic, FYI) here's
want I wanted to say...  I've found that auto supply shops
and sometimes places like Wal-Mart, etc. carry a
sheepskin-type wrap around for seat belts to keep them from
hurting your neck and/or chest area. :-) They feel SO much
better than having a seat belt dig into you, no matter what
size, shape or gender you are.

P.S. If you are considering getting a new car, look for one
with adjustable height seat belts. They usually can be
adjusted for different heights and sizes. Very nice to
have.

Thanks for listening, or reading as the case may be.

I can sympathize with your situation.  There used to be alot
more of me than was comfortable wrapping a seatbelt around,
and I noticed that I was going to have to change the stores
I liked to buy clothes at in order to find something
reasonably comfortable.  So I spoke to my doctor about it. 
She suggested drinking at least one and a half liters of
water per day, cutting back on my portion sizes, and taking
a walk or something occasionally.  I tried to get a second
opinion, but everybody seemed to think this overly simple
sounding idea might work.  It did!  I'm still not as svelte
as most men might prefer, but at least I can shop wherever I
want and my seatbelt doesn't bother me anymore.  I hope I
haven't offended anybody here, I just wanted to share
something that honestly worked for me.  The catch is I have
to live that way all the time for it to keep working,
otherwize I blowup like a balloon. ;) 

Seat belts are a pain, but they are a necessary pain. There
are several products on the market that can help make them
more comfortable. These can be purchased at Target and also
most car washes and parts stores have them. There are pads
for area that crosses the neck. There is also a device that
clips the shoulder strap to the lap belt changing the
position of the belt to keep it off the neck.

Whatever you do, don't put the shoulder harness under your
arm. It makes the belts less effective.

Regarding "well-endowed" ladies: A common "fix" is to place
the shoulder belt behind the shoulder or back. Before you
do this, please take the time to do a quick check on your
anatomy!

By tucking the shoulder portion of the belt behind your
back, you create an area, on your two lower, "floating"
ribs, where the bely now rests. In a collision, even a
relatively minor one, the belt pressure on these two ribs
(which are not connected to the breasbone, hence the name
"floating") are pressed inwards on the spleen and liver,
causing massive inrternal injuries and bleeding.

Glenard A. Munson
Statewide Driving School
Sacramento, CA

It is not a good idea to put your arm through the shoulder
portion of the belt. This forms a use that the belt was not
designed for. Airbags are designed to work in consort with
the seat belt. 

Being well endowed is not the issue for most women. It is
height. The shorter the person, the more likely the
shoulder portion of the belt will sit against your neck.
All short stature people, including me, suffer with this.

I imagine that the automakers are making some progress with
this problem. Several years ago we were given a
demonstration of alternative seatbelt configurations by
Ford. The most promising is a four-pont seat belt, that has
the clasp in the center of the body similar to what racecar
drivers use. However without the fifth-point of the racing
belt - the one that attaches to the seat between the
driver's legs - it is difficult to keep the belt in place.


Ford has some very serious and highly-educated people
working on this problem.

We'll see what develops.

For larger people, there are seat belt extenders available. 
From what I understand, they attach to the end of the belt
and then attach to the latch, increasing the length by
several inches.  I believe they are available at auto parts
stores or auto dealers.