Abstract: The present invention is a safety apparatus having a belt which restrains an occupant of a vehicle against movement relative to the vehicle. A tongue assembly is mounted on the belt and is connectable with a buckle to secure the belt across the lap and torso of the occupant of the vehicle. The tongue assembly includes a lock bar which is movable relative to a base of the tongue assembly between an engaged position in which the belt is clamped between the base and the lock bar and a release position in which the belt is freely movable relative to the tongue assembly. To facilitate movement of the belt relative to the tongue assembly, when the tongue assembly is disconnected from the buckle, the belt extends along a substantially linear path through the tongue assembly. This is accomplished in part by having the belt enter the tongue assembly through an opening adjacent to the base of the tongue assembly and in a direction generally parallel to the base.