Belt retractor

A seat belt retractor comprising: a spool mounted for rotation on the retractor, for retraction or pay-out of seat-belt webbing depending upon the rotation direction of the spool; means for locking the spool against rotation when a crash condition is sensed; force limiting means for allowing further pay-out of the seat belt webbing after the spool shaft has locked, under the influence of an occupant's forward momentum, wherein the force limiting means comprises: a first resilient means attached in the force path between the spool and the locking means, and a second resilient means comprising a wire releasably held in the force path between the spool and the locking means by a locking plate engaged with the locking means, wherein the wire is released from the force path by disengagement between the locking plate and the locking means.