Drivers are only just finding out what the button on their seatbelt is actually for

When it comes to driving there are a whole lot of things we have to be aware of to keep ourselves safe.

However our cars also have a whole bunch of design features which are designed to minimise the danger if we do crash.

And one extremely important one is of course the seatbelt, something so simple which can help stop you being thrown through the windscreen head first or into one of your passengers.

But one part of the seatbelt has people confused - which is why is there a small button on the belt?

Needless to say when it comes to things which stop you becoming another statistic, them being properly anchored in and functional is pretty damn important.

This little plastic button on the belt itself is a part of how the seatbelt works, though many people are not aware of precisely why it's there.

What is that button for? (Florin Voinea / 500px/Getty)

It's there to keep the buckle itself in the right part of the belt.

TikToker @epiccfacts explained, saying: "The little button on your seatbelt is to stop the buckle from going past it.

"So it will always be in the right spot when you go to buckle it up."

So, the button is there to make sure that the buckle is always in a convenient part of the belt for you to buckle up, often right where you would reach to grab it and pull across yourself.

While that might seem like a nice afterthought or a luxury, it's actually a very important part of ensuring the seatbelt functions properly.

But why is that? Well the thing about seatbelts is that they only work if you wear them.

The buttons make the seatbelt easier to use (Westend61 / Getty)

If every time you go to put your seatbelt on you have to wrestle to get the buckle down to the right place, it's going to get annoying.

And if some people get annoyed every time they try to put it on, they might start not wearing it.

By making the belt as easy as possible to put on manufacturers encourage people to wear them and get the safety benefits.

People shared their thoughts on the feature on social media.

One wrote: "Wow that seatbelt one blew my mind, I would have never thought of that", while another said: "Wow! I never knew!!"

But others already knew, with one writing: "I thought we all knew about the seat belt", while another commented, "Everyone knew the seatbelt one."

So now you know - it's there to help make the belt easier to put on and encourage you to wear it.

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