HEIGHT ADJUSTERS WITH ANTI-CINCH FEATURES FOR OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

Shock absorbing seat belt height adjusters for use with vehicle occupant restraint systems, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a shock absorbing height adjuster includes an adjustable D-ring that is operably coupled to an anchor point on a vehicle frame near a seat occupant's shoulder. The height adjuster can include an anti-cinch feature that enables the D-ring to elastically respond to tension loads in a shoulder web portion of the occupant restraint through at least an initial portion of D-ring movement.