Re: SER1 To Seat Belt or Not To Seat Belt

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So there you have it - get some belts, ANY is better than NONE

Reality Check confirmed - thanks Martin.

Jeremy

From: "MARTIN" <m@xxxx.xxx>
Reply-To: series1@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
To: <series1@xxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: SER1 To Seat Belt or Not To Seat Belt
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 16:56:46 -0000

My humble opinion is that you can use the Series 3 brackets to fit inertia
reel belts if you have a hard top. I have done that and they do work very
well. Otherwise use the racing type harness and fix it best way you can.
Anything is better than nothing whatever the rules say. By all means remove
them before the test because I should imagine in most countries if fitted
they have to comply and certainly have to be worn. The ones I fitted in a
canvas top 88" only ever seem to get a brief check by the tester and I have
never been queried on the strength of the anchor points.

I spent 20 years in the Fire Brigade rescuing people from crashed vehicles.
Most of those not wearing belts were dead and the few not would have been
badly scarred for life.

I will always remember the first one I attended. A Morris Minor car hit an
Austin Mini pick up van head on.  The guy in the Morris was unconcious and
died the same evening. He didn't go through the winscreen but hit his chest
on the steering wheel. His legs were fractured (so we heard later) in 15
places. There was a hole in his chest you could put your fist in. The
steering wheel and spokes were bent flat along the column like an inside out
umbrella. The Morris didn't have belts, but the Mini did and were being
worn.

You have to remember all the idiots on the roads go faster than you and are
sitting in padded cars with lots of safety features the old Land Rovers just
don't have. The forces involved in any collision are far greater than you
ever imagine unless you have actually been invloved and survived to tell the
tale. Think of yourself hitting that solid steering column or your
passenger's head on the dash at just 40mph. If the guy coming the other way
is only doing the same, the energy involved means it's an 80mph crash.

Regards

Martin



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