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Re: Shoulder Belts -- TR3A

To: lmtr4a@ctlnet.com, Wise@erau.edu, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Shoulder Belts -- TR3A
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 22:28:17 EST
In a message dated 11/12/2004 9:43:57 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
lmtr4a@ctlnet.com writes:

Accept  the fact that while in a side screen TR, a collision with anything
larger  than a go-cart and you will come out second.  A shoulder belt  will
force you to sit bold upright while you head becomes the roll  bar.  In a tip
over I would rather grab the hand brake with both  hands.  Of course you can
say that a shoulder belt will keep you from  banging you head on the steering
wheel or windshield frame but in a head  -on the virtually solid steering
column will come up to meet  you.



======
 
Lou, I would mostly agree with what you say, except that a properly  
installed and properly adjusted "conventional" diagonal shoulder belt  / lap 
belt 
combination would allow the freedom to (all else being equal) prevent  yourself 
from serving as a roll bar, and it could help keep you away from that  steering 
wheel just a bit better during that head-on collision.
 
Past a certain point (speed, circumstance -- and it varies from one  vehicle 
to the next), nothing will keep you from some injury or, uh, worse  in a 
crash. But I think that a point high enough on the wheel arch (at or  as near 
as 
possible to shoulder height -- you really do NOT want the shoulder  belt mount 
too low) would be a more than satisfactory anchor point for the  shoulder belt.
 
Of course, maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I do remain leery of  trying to 
fit any sort of inertia reel lap/shoulder combination in a car for  which they 
were not specifically designed and tested. I prefer the older  style of 
lap/shoulder belts (which I have in the front of my Herald sedan),  where the 
lap 
portion is snugged properly and the shoulder belt is adjusted so  as to just 
allow a clenched fist to pass between belt and torso.  

--Andy  Mace

*Mrs Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet?
*Man: Well, no ... It's not so  much of a jet, it's more your, er,
Triumph Herald engine with  wings.
-- Cut-price Airlines Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus  (22)

Check out the North American Triumph Sports 6 (Vitesse 6)  and Triumph Herald 
Database at its new URL: _http://triumph-herald.us_ 
(http://triumph-herald.us/) 




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