Correct Harness Fitting

I have recently seen quite a few cars with bucket seats and harnesses fitted while at work. Now I agree that harnesses and bucket seats are the best things for holding you in while driving, but I have been shocked to where the seat belts have been mounted to.

Here are just a couple of examples:

Note both images above have the harnesses mounted to the lower rear seat belt bolts (some i have seen even have them mounted straight down to the rear legs of the front seat)

Now, harnesses should be mounted near enough parallel to your shoulders.

Here’s just a little something to think about:

If you use harness’s mounted to the rear seat mounting points in the event of a heavy frontal collision all the crash energy will be imparted downwards on your shoulders by the harness’s. There;s only one place that energy can go and that;s straight down your spine – If that happens there’s a very good chance you’ll be paralysed for life.

Id rather go through the windscreen in all honesty!

The only safe way to use harness’s is to have the rear mounts at shoulder height which is virtually impossible without a full roll cage fitted – I mean a proper cage aswell not a monkey bars show cage

Using harness’s for everyday driving is a nightmare – for them to work properly they MUST be so tight you cannot move, you will NOT be able to reach the stereo, you will NOT be able to look over your shoulder before performing manoeuvres like merging with traffic on a motorway.

If they are loose enough to allow you to do these things then they are MORE dangerous than wearing no belt at all.

In the event of a rollover whilst wearing a normal seat belt your body can rotate towards the centre of the car keeping your head out the way of the roof line in case it collapses. If you are wearing harness’s then Im afraid your head is stuck there and without a cage and a helmet youre going to know about it. Again I know where I’d rather be!