In the car I drive, the top anchor point of the shoulder strap isn’t adjustable. The shoulder strap runs through a guide attached to the back of the seat, just behind my left shoulder. Being short and busty, that leads to the shoulder strap usually riding right up against my neck. It’s not comfortable, and frankly, I’m leary of what would happen if I did suddenly slam into the belt.
So, I’ve taken to clipping the shoulder strap to the lap belt, at about my navel, when I’m driving. This lets the shoulder strap sit in a far more comfortable location, across my chest rather then against my neck.
I’m sure that neither option is optimal. In it’s original configuration, I’m guessing that sudden stop would end up with me having the belt pressing against my left collar bone and the left side of my throat. With my clip in place, I’d guess that a sudden stop will tear the clip off, leaving the belt ultimately in the same spot eventually, but a short time later. Maybe time enough for me to slam into the steering wheel or the windshield. But also maybe enough to let my chest take the impact with the belt, rather then my neck.
Long term, I’m planning on a new car next year. This is something I’ll be watching for when I buy. Short term, which seems the lesser of 2 evils? Any other alternates? I could actually sew the 2 belts together, getting rid of the clip, but I’m not sure I could sew it strongly enough to change the actual outcome.