What is are the types of Seat belts?

Lap: Adjustable strap that goes over the waist. Used frequently in older cars, now uncommon except in some rear middle seats (also in passenger aircraft).

Automatic: Any seatbelt that closes itself automatically. Used mainly in older luxury models.

Sash: Adjustable strap that goes over the shoulder. Used mainly in the 1960's, but of limited benefit because it is very easy to slip out of in a collision.

Lap and Sash: Combination of the two above (two separate belts). Mainly used in the 1960s and 1970s, usually in the rear. Generally superseded by three-point design.

Three-point: Similar to the lap and sash, but one single continuous length of webbing. Both three-point and lap-and-sash belts help spread out the energy of the moving body in a collision over the chest, pelvis, and shoulders.

Five-point harnesses are safer but more restrictive seat belts. They are typically found in child safety seats and in racing cars. The lap portion is connected to a belt between the legs and there are two shoulder belts, making a total of five points of attachment to the seat.

Six-point harnesses became popular after Dale Earnhardt died during a NASCAR race. Earnhardt was wearing a five-point harness when he crashed and died. Because it was thought at first that the his belt had broken, some teams ordered a six-point harness. The sixth point has two belts between the legs, which is seen by some to be a weaker point than the other parts.

Inertia reel: Used almost universally today, inertia reel belts are effectively self-adjusting, which improves effectiveness. They also retract when not in use, reducing the chances of damage to the belts. A retractor reel lets out the strap or pulls it back as needed, and in the event of an accident the reel locks, preventing any more strap to come out and holding the passenger in the car.