# Seatbelts, well endowed women and striving to be safe while driving



## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Every time I get into the car for my nearly hour long commute, I think, the dude who invented the over the shoulder-across the chest seatbelt strap was a. definitely a dude and b. has no idea about how boobs affect seatbelt placement. I constantly resling my shoulder strap the entire drive. I"m wearing target nursing tanks because I cannot swing the price of a good nursing bra in my size (well I could do one, but not 2-3 which would be ideal). These target tanks not only give me sag, but also produce the uniboob effect, which leaves no room for the strap to sit mid-chest as all the diagrams show. But come to think of it, back in my pre-nursing days, the darned strap never sat in the right place, constantly halfway across one breast or the other.









I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. I feel like I"m a safety compromise every time I drive.

Any solutions? Comisseration?


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## KristyDi (Jun 5, 2007)

I have no solution, but lots of commiseration. I wind up using one hand to hold the shoulder belt off my neck the whole time I drive. It's better when I'm not wearing a nursing tank or sports bra (both give me the uni-boob) but not perfect.

In my mom's car you can adjust the height of the shoulder belt, which helps a lot. Neither of our cars have that though.


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KristyDi* 
I have no solution, but lots of commiseration. I wind up using one hand to hold the shoulder belt off my neck the whole time I drive. It's better when I'm not wearing a nursing tank or sports bra (both give me the uni-boob) but not perfect.

In my mom's car you can adjust the height of the shoulder belt, which helps a lot. Neither of our cars have that though.

Oh yeah, the neck thing. Ugh, I even have that problem with the height adjustment attempt. Meh.


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## BettinaAuSucre (Oct 15, 2009)

i am one of those wreckless people who slings it behind me. i am also short as well as stacked and seatbelts end up on my neck. i used to use a seatbelt cover to help with the rubbing but my hubby drives my car so i cant really put it on. i commiserate as well.


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## butterfly_mommy (Oct 22, 2007)

I also commiserate the belt is always on my neck and I feel like I am always tugging at it. I have no solution but hope some does.


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## lolar2 (Nov 8, 2005)

I found this by googling: http://www.dynamic-living.com/produc...belt-adjuster/

No idea how well it works, I've never tried it.


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

I think it has more to do with the seat belt height than the boobs.

You can try putting the seat forward (if you can still drive like that, and if you don't have airbags to worry about) or scootching closer to the center o the car. Both of those seem to help for me.


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paquerette* 
I think it has more to do with the seat belt height than the boobs.

You can try putting the seat forward (if you can still drive like that, and if you don't have airbags to worry about) or scootching closer to the center o the car. Both of those seem to help for me.

I don't see how that will help at all, the breasts push the seatbelt to one side or the other, moving the seat closer to the wheel only makes for a snugger fit.


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## aniT (Jun 16, 2004)

The height has nothing to do with it. My belt moves down, my seat moves up... and my peddles move in and out so I can have the seat back further. It is the boobs pushing it up.

When I care enough I use one of the clips that come with car seats. This clips it in a better position so it doens't do that. More often than not I just don't wear the stupid seat belt becuase i get sick of chocking to death on it.


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## lolar2 (Nov 8, 2005)

The adjuster I posted a link to, is somewhat like the carseat locking clip you describe, Tina.


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## baglady (Jul 13, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BettinaAuSucre* 
i am one of those wreckless people who slings it behind me. i am also short as well as stacked and seatbelts end up on my neck. i used to use a seatbelt cover to help with the rubbing but my hubby drives my car so i cant really put it on. i commiserate as well.

I also resort to this on long drives. Sometimes I just kind of angle it under me left arm to keep it in place. I'm not particularly short but I cannot stand the seatbelt either hitting my breast in a weird spot or trying to strangle me.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

In order to have the lap belt across my thighs and not my belly, I need a cushion. I use a sciatica wedge (because I have sciatica) and this takes care of that issue.

For the boobs, I have to wear a real bra which fits properly and lifts and separates, not a tank or a Decent Exposures un-bra. That's the only way to get the belt between the boobs. Otherwise, the belt pulls across both boobs and is very uncomfortable. I shudder to think of what damage it would do if I were in a wreck.

If I have my wedge and a real bra, the seatbelt is fine. I also have a car which allows me to adjust my shoulder belt height down. Of course, without the cushion, the belt also cuts me across the neck, even at the lowest setting.

I wish bras were easier to obtain and weren't so freakin' expensive.


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## aniT (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lolar2* 
The adjuster I posted a link to, is somewhat like the carseat locking clip you describe, Tina.

Yea.. that looks like it works like the locking clip. And a plus.. we probably all have a locking clip or two floating around. I used to use it all the time til DH tossed it cause he was tired of taking it off when we shared a car. However I have had my own car for 5+ years and never put one back on. "shrug." Just lazy I guess. I supposed I should start doing it again as I really have to get onto my 10 year old to put her seat belt on. Often if I am not paying attention, she wont put it on. I hate seat belts so much though. Bah and double bah.


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## aniT (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jocelyndale* 
For the boobs, I have to wear a real bra which fits properly and lifts and separates,

Woah! Where do you find one of these? Lift and separate? I haven't seen that since I was 10!!!!


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## LaLaLaLa (Oct 29, 2007)

I have no breasts whatsoever (nursing stole my breasts), and I still can't get my seat belt to fit properly. I don't have the chest problem, but I have constant seatbelt hickeys from where it rubs all over my neck. I'm average height for a woman, I think, at 5'3", and it seems it shouldn't be an issue for my seat belt to be safe and comfortable.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aniT* 
Woah! Where do you find one of these? Lift and separate? I haven't seen that since I was 10!!!!

Yeah. They rarely exist. The Medela underwire worked for most of the spring and summer, but I was heavier and now I've lost weight and it doesn't work for me anymore. But for awhile, those underwires met flat against my sternum and kept the mammaries in separate time zones.

Otherwise, it's specialty shops. *sigh* Online, there's biggerbra and breakoutbras. I hate shopping for bras online.


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## aniT (Jun 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LaLaLaLa* 
I have no breasts whatsoever (nursing stole my breasts), and I still can't get my seat belt to fit properly. I don't have the chest problem, but I have constant seatbelt hickeys from where it rubs all over my neck. I'm average height for a woman, I think, at 5'3", and it seems it shouldn't be an issue for my seat belt to be safe and comfortable.

I am 5'4" and considered "short" for a woman. I think "average" is somewhere between 5'5" and 5'8".


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## lolar2 (Nov 8, 2005)

I use bigbra.com mostly. If you're just a tiny bit smaller than I am, ladygrace.com would also work.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

Oh man, I am so right there with you guys. It is not height for me. I am 5'9" tall. That is nearly average height for a man. My car's seatbelt height adjusts, I have it all the way down on the lowest setting. I still get choked regularly by the shoulder belt. I have H/I cup boobs. I do have a good nursing bra that separates reasonably well, so I don't have a uniboob, and you'd think that once I put the belt between the ginormous mounds on my chest it would be held in place permanently, but no, it always slides up and around my neck.

Those little clip things seem like they would pull the lap belt up off your lap (which isn't safe either) do you have problems wtih that?

I really have no ideas, just another "me too". I've seen a couple of threads on here like this, and no one seems to have a good solution.


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## aniT (Jun 16, 2004)

Mine never sits on my "lap" either way cause well there is too much other stuff in the way. With that said.. it pulls the shoulder belt down to the lap rather than the lap part up.


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## MaryJaneLouise (Jul 26, 2005)

Another me-too with a gigantic uni-boob







: I'm tall 6-0 so it's not a height issue -- the uniboob just pushes the seat belt towards the center of my body & onto the neck :sigh:


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## griffin2004 (Sep 25, 2003)

oh, this drives me absolutely insane! I've tried every seat and seatbelt height and position possible and nothing helps

every time I get in the car I balance whether I want to go beltless vs. getting decapitated in a wreck


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## riverscout (Dec 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aniT* 
I am 5'4" and considered "short" for a woman. I think "average" is somewhere between 5'5" and 5'8".

Actually, you are exactly average, at least in the US where the average woman is 5'4" and also BTW size 14. Seems like seat belts ought to properly and comfortably fit women of the that size.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

I am SO glad I'm not the only one. I'm 5'9" with H cup I am CONSTANTLY readjusting the stupid belt.

Lift & separate? My goodness - they'd be so far out past the side of my body I'd never get my arms around them. Uniboob is the only look I can do!


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## Ashley (Dec 10, 2003)

I cannot believe I have never thought to use one of those clips!!!! I have a neck pad to help it not cut into my neck but I never once thought of the safety. Here I provide my children with the best car seats and proper instillation... yet I haven't even thought of my own. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

My grandma, who is under 5' has the 'seatbelt on the neck' issue - she puts a clothes peg on the top of it to hold it in the right spot.


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *griffin2004* 

every time I get in the car I balance whether I want to go beltless vs. getting decapitated in a wreck

Remember though, if you go beltless, you are a projectile and could land on your kids!

The lap belt being correctly positioned is more important than the shoulder belt being in the right place, you arent likley to be decapitated even if it is rubbing your neck.


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