Just read a post that three point statics seat belts are no longer legal, can any one confirm and point to the words? What are people using instead> 4 point or retractables?
A bit late to find out, IVA in a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the goal posts seem to chage on a regular basis! i read a thread saying side markers are not allowed on front arches now which is a pain in the arse as mine are already done! and there seems to be no where to put them on the mnr as the rear arch is more than 2600mm from front of nose cone!

I tried to contact vosa but had no luck. Are yours three point static seatbelts OR 3 point harnesses ?

I still think its one of them grey areas that comes down to the tester.

I still prefer the static belts but I didnt want to risk a fail on a big job, It cost me about £100 and a weekends work to change mine to the normal 4 point harnesses.

Either a 3 or 4 point harness is ok, as long as they are marked.
"Note 1: A British Standard BS3254 Part 1 1988 or evidence of FIA 8853-98 approval for a harness belt is acceptable
16.
A harness or three point belt “effective upper anchorage” location must be at least 450mm above the reference point. (see note 14)"

Lap and diagonal are dealt with separately, static diagonal belts are not allowed.
"17.
A lap/diagonal belt “effective upper anchorage” location must be at least 140mm from the longitudinal centre line of the seat. (see note 14)

I wonder if people are confusing 3-point harnesses with the restriction on fixed lap & diagonals... which also fix in 3 points.

Why would 3 point static lap+diagonal belts be banned?
Surely they are as safe or safer than a belt with an inertia reel.

Dave

quote:

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Originally posted by panichat
Why would 3 point static lap+diagonal belts be banned?
Surely they are as safe or safer than a belt with an inertia reel.

Dave

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Inertial reel self adjust, static need to be adjusted to fit. So the question is more why do they allow static harnesses...

I think the reg's changed to ban them in new tin-tops many years ago, due to the number of injuries caused by poorly adjusted fixed belts and far fewer with inertia reel belts. IVAs introduction tied up a lot of loose ends that applied to tin-tops but weren't covered by SVA.

Hmm, so the static manually adjustable 3 point lap and diagonal in my Tiger will fail.

I have a set of 4 point harnesses but not sure these are marked up as required.

Has anyone fitted an inertia reel type belt in a Locost? Would you look for one that mounts the reel on the floor beside the seat or one that mounts it up on the deck rollbar?

What's the future MOT rules if I fit both (static 4 point harness and 3 point inertia) so I could drive to track in comfort and be able to adjust stuff, reach for sat nav etc, and then stick harness on for the track?

I remember looking in to this when Wasa was querying his.
IMO its a very grey area thats open to interpretation:

I came to the conclusion that 3 point 'harneses' are accepetable, but 3 point statics arent, due to the wording quoted below.

My post from Wasa's old thread:

'Having re-read the section for the 6th time, the only wording I could find that may argue that 3 point seat belts arent classed as a 3 point 'harness' is the discription 'an acceptable alternative to any of the seat belt types listed is an adult harness belt comprising a lap belt and shoulder straps providing the anchorages satisfy section 19' '

The emphasis being on the 'Straps not strap'.

Therefore if it could be considered that restraint must have more than one shoulder strap to be called a harness, and as a 3 point static only had one, its not compliant.

Its also worded similarly in the Glossary
Harness Belt
Means an adult belt which is a harness belt compromising a lap belt and shoulder straps.

OK makes sense so a Y type three point would be OK.

I've looked at my 4 point harnesses and they have this:


So presume the E4 is relevance of compliance, but despite a bit of googling can't find any correlation between that and the below:

"Note 1: A British Standard BS3254 Part 1 1988 or evidence of FIA 8853-98 approval for a harness belt is acceptable"

One of my fail points in December 2010 IVA at Gillingham was lap/diagonal belts were not retractable. I had a look at fitting retractable lap/diagonal but couldn't see where they could fit so went for the macho poser 4-point harness

BTW: the examiner said belts didn't have to have e-markings or any other: they just had to be the width and material that you would expect on a seatbelt.

[Edited on 29/3/11 by Macbeast]