One of the most common accidents with a
forklift is that they are overloaded and capsize. Most forklift trucks are equipped with seatbelts in the cage and so if an accident is to occur the seat belt will keep the operator in the seat safely and securely. The same rule applies to a car, if the participants of the car are not wearing their seat belts and an accident occurs the damage is far worse than if they were wearing their seatbelt. In a forklift the importance of wearing a seatbelt is even more severe because even though a forklift travels a lot slower than a car on the road the fork lift is open and the operator is not as protected.
Forklift trucks are actually heavier than many cars on the road today and so they can cause more damage in the event of an accident. Due to a forklift truck needing to turn in small tight spaces they steer by rotating their rear axle, which is usually mounted on a pin. This makes it easier for the forklift to overturn and capsize. The
forklift being heavier means when they do fall over the truck falls faster than other vehicles. Research has shown that the operator in a falling over vehicle tries to get out of the vehicle out of instinct but because the forklift falls so quickly this can cause more damage than if they were to be strapped in by a seatbelt. Often the person will not have enough time to get out before it hits the ground and they get caught in the cage or the safe guards which leads to more injury and sometimes death. Reports have shown that many of the fatalities cause by over turning
forklift trucks is due to the operator trying to get out. A seatbelt strapping the operator into a safe position within the cage of the forklift really is the difference between life and death.