Revved up with Itu Motuba

So, those who wear bras know that the first thing you want to do when you get home is take it off. The problem starts if, for some reason, you keep it on—because as soon as your foot enters your house, your bra starts acting like a paid assassin whose method of ending your life is by turning into a python and slowly suffocating you. Okay, okay—fine, a little hyperbole never hurt anyone. But one thing I won’t exaggerate about is safety. The seatbelt is meant to keep us safe in case of an accident, but it seems to be on a similar mission as the nefarious bra.

I’m a big advocate for safety, but sometimes it’s hard to convince the girls to strap in when those very straps are just so uncomfortable. The problem with the standard seatbelt is that it’s not designed for our anatomy. Crash dummies don’t have boobs, I suppose. Maybe testing how comfortably the seatbelt sits on a woman’s chest never occurred to designers—because their priority is survival, not comfort.

But here’s the thing: if you’re vertically challenged, the seatbelt cuts into your neck. If you’re blessed in the chest, it slices right across your bust. And if you’re driving on bumpy terrain—yep, it presses and pulls and digs in all the wrong ways. This is true whether you’re cruising in a cute little Toyota Vitz or riding high in a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. The seatbelt is definitely not a girl’s best friend.

I’ve seen women come up with all sorts of creative ways to wear it. One friend puts her arm above the top strap, so it runs below her bust—not great, but more bearable. Another flips the shoulder belt behind her completely, which defeats the whole purpose of safety. It’s basically like she’s wearing an airplane seatbelt. (Side note: how safe are those airplane belts, really?)

According to The Road Safety Authority (RSA), 26% of women admit to having worn their seat belt under their arm rather than on their shoulder and 32% of women say female friends have worn seat belt under their arm at least sometimes. This is dangerous and may contribute to why women turn to get hurt more in accidents.

I can already hear a faint voice in the distance asking, “So Itu, what’s the solution then?” The solution is simple: acknowledge that women drive—and buy—cars too. In fact, I’d bet we’re on track to becoming the leading car buyers in South Africa, if we’re not already.

So, dear designers, surely you can come up with something that keeps us safe and comfortable. Honestly, we wouldn’t even mind those front-locking harness belts like the ones in racing cars. They look freakin’ cool, too.

Seatbelts—also known as safety belts—are supposed to do exactly that: save your life in case of an accident. Not choke you just because you’re a DD.