Lap Belt Cinch Announces Major European Trials To Begin
Arval Trials CG-Lock Seatbelt Technology To Improve Driver Comfort And Safety
Fort Washington, PA. (PRWEB) May 3, 2010
Lap Belt Cinch, Inc. (LBC), developer of the CG-Lock technology and maker of CG-Lock & SeatSnug seatbelt safety devices, announced today that Arval, the leading fleet and fuel management company in Europe, will begin trials of their patented CG-Lock seatbelt device. Arval employees are trialing the innovative seatbelt enhancement device to assess its safety and posture benefits.
The CG-Lock, meaning center of gravity lock, is a small palm sized device that clips onto existing seatbelts to allow slack to be removed in the lap belt, keeping the user in the safest possible position. Seatbelt slack is acknowledged in the auto industry as a major contributor to injuries and deaths in vehicular accidents. Originally developed as an aftermarket product for the performance driving market and already used in several motion pictures, including National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage and James Bond's Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig, the CG-Lock improves overall seatbelt performance to enhance driver control and to enhance the safety and comfort of the user.
Graham Cox from CG-Lock, UK explains: “As RoSPA highlights, the safest way to travel is to have no slack in the lapbelt portion of the seatbelt and have it running firmly across the hips. Without the CG-Lock this can only be achieved by repeatedly sitting upright and pulling the diagonal section of the seatbelt to remove the slack. Most people don’t do this and so the lapbelt ‘rides up’ off the hips onto the stomach. This is not the position at which EuroNCAP tests are performed and significantly increases risk of injury should an accident occur. The CG-Lock keeps the lapbelt exactly where it should be, firmly across the pelvis.”
Tracey Scarr, fleet and road safety manager at Arval, explains: “Seatbelts are a really important area to look at because while there has been a lot of focus on child seats, adult restraints haven’t seen much development. There has been a significant amount of research into the problems associated with driver back pain and this is one area we want to try and help our drivers and customers address. The CG-Lock has been recommended by some top healthcare professionals to reduce back pain and has also been found to improve driver safety so we wanted to test it."
“Recent winners of several fleet safety awards, Arval is conducting this trial because we are passionate about improving safety and comfort for fleet drivers but wouldn't recommend anything to our customers without testing it first."
Arval employees taking part in the trial are testing the CG-Lock for adult use, however some of them are also trialing the technology on child booster seats with findings expected in June.
Arval (www. arval. co. uk) is the leading fleet and fuel management company in Europe, owned by BNP Paribas, one of the largest European banking groups, with substantial buying power and a commitment to quality through over 35 years fleet management experience. Arval is a people-led company, with specialist teams dedicated to businesses from start-ups to FTSE 100 companies. Arval is investing significantly in technology to improve fleet efficiency and has a comprehensive range of products covering contract hire, fleet management, fuel management, leasing, personal motoring schemes, accident management, breakdown recovery and short term hire.
Lap Belt Cinch, Inc. is the developer and patent holder of CG-Lock technology. Its aftermarket products, the CG-Lock and SeatSnug, are designed to enhance driver control, improve safety, reduce the risk of injuries in vehicular accidents and save lives. The CG-Lock, which has been certified for SCCA events, is used widely by the Hollywood stunt industry and has been featured in a series of sports car magazines. SeatSnug has been featured on ABC and the Fox News TV channels and is being promoted to enhance the safety of children, with a particualr emphasis on enhancing the safety of children riding in booster seats, who are not safely secured by the regular seatbelt attachment.
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