Originally Posted by Finkface

The reason is not so much to show you how to fasten it, but to show you how to unfasten it. Sure you know how to use them in your car ... dozens of times a week.

But car seat belts work differently from the “lift the buckle” way that airplane seat belts release. And in a panicked emergency, passengers might not be thinking clearly. ... previously established “muscle memory” works against you in a crisis. That’s why it is in the safety briefing - hopefully the information will somehow filter through if you ever really need to use it.

Originally Posted by trooper

If someone can't work out how to buckle and unbuckle one of those belts unaided I certainly hope they are not in an Exit row.