unbelted

Everyday

1. Not wearing a seat belt in a car or other vehicle. tree →
2. Without a belt: an unbelted coat or dress. tree →

In the lessons

Used mostly in road safety lessons and news: unbelted passengers are much more likely to be badly hurt in a crash. Tells the reader someone is in danger or breaking the rules.

Examples

• Unbelted passengers can be thrown forward in a crash. tree →
• The police stopped the driver because a child was unbelted. tree →
• Never ride unbelted, even for a short trip. tree →
• The unbelted coat flapped open in the wind. tree →
• The poster showed an unbelted dummy flying through the windscreen. tree →
• In the survey, 2 of the 40 drivers were unbelted. tree →

Note

un- + belted. Takes «an»: «an unbelted passenger». Safety fact: wearing a seat belt is the law in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland for almost everyone in a car.