Seat Belt Knife

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by The Railsplitter, Mar 25, 2023.

  1. The Railsplitter

    The Railsplitter Medium Load Member

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    Here's a topic many of you newer drivers may not yet have encountered: the seat belt knife. I was running from K.C. to the West Coast with a more experienced hand many years ago, we were working for the same reefer outfit and we each had our own assigned trucks. At some point, while parked along the way, we were both sitting in his tractor, just yakkin' as drivers will do, and I noticed a small knife tucked into the visor over the driver's seat. It looked something like this, and was equally sharp:

    IMG_8378.JPG

    I asked him why he had the knife tucked into the visor (there was a flap there for storing paperwork or whatever), and he told me it was his "seat belt knife." I said, "Huh? Whaddya mean?" And he told me, if he was ever involved in a wreck and was injured and/or in such a position that he couldn't reach the seat belt latch itself, he might still be able to grab that knife out of the visor and cut himself free. This made sense, since a truck could be laid over on its side, or upside down for that matter... o_O

    And shortly after our conversation, I went and bought a small knife just for that purpose, even though I already had a Gerber Gator Serrator as a utility knife. That Serrator made for a great utility knife too, it would cut through metal pallet straps like melted butter, lol... but like that more experienced hand, I wanted a knife in place where I could reach it if the worst ever happened. Thank goodness I never needed it, but new driver or experienced hand, y'all know some crazy #### can happen on our roadways, aye? :eek:

    So do yourself a favor and buy a small but decent knife for this purpose, and make sure it's sharp enough to slice through a seat belt, no problem. In a wreck, you may be injured or the cab may be so damaged that you can't reach the actual seat belt latch, and without an alternate "escape route" you'll have trouble getting out of that cab. A knife like the one shown is small price to pay for peace of mind in that respect. If there's no handy flap in the visor for securement, find another spot within reach and be sure the knife is secured. :rolleyes:

    "THUS ENDETH THE SERMON FOR TODAY... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! CHEERS!!!" ;)
     
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  3. rockeee

    rockeee Medium Load Member

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    If I was to get a dedicated seat belt knife it would be with a protected or rounded blade.
     
  4. The Railsplitter

    The Railsplitter Medium Load Member

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    Ah, good points... and looking at the web, I see that such tools have evolved, which is a good thing. I met that hand with the seat belt knife in the late '90s, so ya gotta cut me some slack (bad pun intended, lol). Still, I'm glad to have broached the subject, as it concerns driver safety... :rolleyes:

    By all means, go with a more modern tool, but keep it secured so it stays within reach if the worst should happen... even the fanciest high-dollar tool won't do ya much good if it's somewhere back in the sleeper, lol. Just my $.02 on that subject, and Velcro is cheap, lol. ;)
     
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  5. Judge

    Judge Road Train Member

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    velcro under your seat.
    F44DD182-5B23-4586-995A-EE9BFAC681EF.png
     
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  6. Ltlhauler

    Ltlhauler Bobtail Member

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    I have one in my car and my wife's car. Got them from an insurance company for a promo. I'll have to pick one up for the truck.
     
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  7. 4mer trucker

    4mer trucker Road Train Member

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    We used a Tool similar to this in the Fire Service

    Screenshot_20230325-201222_Chrome.jpg
     
  8. The Railsplitter

    The Railsplitter Medium Load Member

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    It's good to see all of these options... I'm not sure whether they existed before, maybe they did but they were harder to find. I really like the concept of a spring-loaded device to smash vehicle windshields or windows, it's not so easy to break those by hand (or elbow). Even kicking a window out can be difficult... and a slanted windshield even more so, aye? :confused:

    Clearly, someone has been working on this whole idea of escape from a vehicle... as usual, I'm behind the times, lol. Meh, the memory hit my brain this morning and I figured I'd just throw it out there... a small knife will STILL get the job done on the belt, lol. File it under 'Driver Safety' and we'll move on to another topic, lol. Anyway, this cold beer tastes pretty good... ;)
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2023
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  9. 2Tap

    2Tap Medium Load Member

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    I quit reading when you said your Gerber cut through metal banding straps like butter.
    Bro, it's a Gerber. They sell 'em at Walmart for a reason.

    A good pocket knife is one that is sharp & durable, you dont lose and always have on your person. Having it when you're upside down or left side right in a semi is a moot point then.
     
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  10. The Railsplitter

    The Railsplitter Medium Load Member

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    Meh, the serrated edge went right through those metal straps... whether you believe me or not, well, I don't really care. I bought that Gerber in the mid-'90s, and the blade section kept a good sharp edge too... maybe it wasn't made of Chinese alloy (recycled beer cans). o_O
     
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