a vehicle seat belt retractor has a spool on which seat belt webbing is wound . an externally - toothed ratchet wheel is rotatable with the spool in a belt withdrawal direction . a first pawl is supported on a housing for pivotal movement about a first axis into engagement with the ratchet wheel to block rotation of the ratchet wheel in the belt withdrawal direction . an inertia member supported on the housing is movable in response to vehicle deceleration greater than a predetermined deceleration to pivot the first pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel and thereby block rotation of the ratchet wheel and the spool in the belt withdrawal direction . a second pawl is supported on the housing for pivotal movement relative to the ratchet wheel about a second axis spaced from the first axis . the first pawl has a portion for supporting the second pawl and for effecting movement of the second pawl about the second axis , upon movement of the first pawl about the first axis , into a ready position . the second pawl , when in the ready position , is engageable with the ratchet wheel to block rotation of the ratchet wheel and thus of the spool in the belt withdrawal direction .