A recent question was asked on the validity of seat belts if one of the approval labels is missing.
The short answer is, the belts would be invalid for use.
Seat belts are sold as a matched set so you cannot swap belts around or take one from another set if you have a damaged crutch belt for example.
Seat belts are approved by either SFI or the FIA and they have two different testing methods and labelling requirements for the manufacturers.
SFI 16.1 and 16.5 belts are mainly of nylon construction and now have a two-year expiry date on their labels. The SFI 16.1 requirement has approval labels on the LH Shoulder belt, the LH Lap belt and the submarine belt, three in total. SFI 16.5 have labels on all belts. See sample label below.
The FIA 8853/98 and 8854/98 belts have the approval labels on all belts, with the addition of an added hologram on the LH shoulder belt. FIA regulations state: “In order to comply, a harness shall comprise straps bearing the same homologation number.” See sample FIA label below:
Therefore, if the expiry date is illegible or a label is missing off any belt then the belt set is deemed to have expired and would not be passed by the scrutineer.
For FIA belts used in Motorsport NZ Non-Championship events the belts are approved for up to 10 years (i.e. a five-year extension to the expiry date), providing they are in good condition, have all their labels in place and are passed by the scrutineer. However, SFI belts will still have the two-year life span.
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