On Sat, 18 Oct 1997 23:08:31, -0500 GDWF22A(at)prodigy.com (MR RICHARD T
TRENK SR) writes:
SNIP>
>When I car has a roll cage installed....we do NOT want to
>attach twin shoulder belts (H-type ) to the roll cage at
>some height. We WANT the shoulder belts anchored to the
>floor panel so as to make a 45 deg angle from shoulder to
>floor. ONLY IN THIS WAY can you be held firmly DOWN in your
>seat and thereby stay with the car even in a roll over
>wreck.
SNIP>
>Any should belt is better then none but please understand
>that the belt not only must prevent forward movement of
>upper torso but must also keep you down in the seat !!
>Unless the shoulder belt has the 45 deg angle behind the
>driver, it won't be able to do all this.
I think you hit the nail on the head here. Guess what holds
you in the seat in that scenario! Your back and spinal
column.
While paralized is generally considered better than dead,
few people could argue against methods that could prevent
both spinal injury as well as protection from the old windscreen.
The way we prevent major back injuries today is to mount the
shoulder mounts ABOVE the shoulders. This prevents
a downward vector, when the body is flung forward.
Puts the force on the chest, not downward on the back.
>They ALL USE the H type belt anchored as I describe.
>Emily...please contact ANY SCCA member who can loan you his
>rule book in which belt installations are spelled out. I
>would of course suggest a roll bar as well but this may not
>be in your plans.
Perhaps the SCCA allowed such things twenty or so years past,
but today, no legit racing body will let you out there with a 4,5 or
6 point harness mounted so.
It is ALWAYS explicitely noted in the rule books of the given race
body.
I dont race with the SCCA, but the roll bar is specified in section
18 of their GCR, and the restriant specifications are specified
within section 17 of thier GCR.
VARA, VMC, VSCCA so on and so forth have approximately
the same verbage to their safety dogma, and relate the restraint
specs as being "current SCCA or equiv. requirements".
Personally, if I didnt have a roll bar in an Alpine, I would go buy
some 3 inch lap belts. They cost around $50 each, last forever,
and will leave a lesser "belt rash" across your lap and legs, should
you ever need the restraint.
Jarrid Gross
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