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The finding or absence of blood or embedded fibers in the mesh of a seatbelt may help to prove or disprove the use of
that seatbelt at the time of impact.
Court accepted presumptive blood tests such as the reduced phenolphthalein
test and luminol test can be applied to interior vehicle parts including seatbelts to detect trace bloodstains. This has been
of significant value in older cases where damage has been done to the vehicle allowing rain, humidity, and sunlight to enter
in during long term storage and thus cause "washing" or fading of bloodstains. The location of detected stains may reveal
important scientific evidence of seatbelt usage at the time of impact. These tests are non-destructive to the surfaces examined.
Also, if enough biological evidence is available, DNA testing can still be performed, if desired.
Seatbelts can be tested on-site within the vehicle or sent to our laboratory for examination.
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