3 point seat belts

DNLs1930

DNLs1930

Senior Member
SOOO we were watching OPL the other night and the rear seats of the cop cars had three point seat belts where the shoulder strap is mounted in the center and the lap belt extends to the door side of the car.


This set up allows the cops to buckle the belt without moving across the body of the person being buckled in.


QUESTION:
Anyone have three point seat belts set up this way? Seems like the center shoulder strap could be mounted to the body floor with the retraction reel or a set length could be attached to the body rear trunk side supports kind of like a roll bar set up for a race car.


With no real side window support short of drilling a hole through the side (or welding plates or??? the center shoulder strap set up seems like it might be an easier installation option.



Thoughts?
 
If I remember correctly, shoulder belts must never be attached to the floor (or anywhere lower than shoulder height) because as the person’s body is thrown forward the shoulder belt will apply an unwanted vertical force downward.
 
I have a more conventional shoulder belt orientation in the coupe, but what you’re describing would work. The shoulder belt would have to go across the package tray and attach in the trunk. I think it would be safer than what I’ve got because the shoulder anchors would be closer to the midline of the car, so the body might deform less in a crash. However you would have to work out exactly how far apart to position people’s shoulders.
 
For a long time, I pondered the best way to put seat belts in my Phaeton. With no door pillars, which are not strong enough anyway, I was at a loss for a long time. Then lightning struck one day and I now have what I think is an excellent arrangement.
Across the back of the car down behind the back seat is a strong box section. I attached a belt to that and had a "Y" shaped belt made that clips to the other end of it just behind my shoulders. It immediately divides into two straps. One goes over each shoulder and down to what is pretty much just a lap belt. Once it's on, it is very like a racing harness or what a pilot would wear. My biggest concern for the driver was to prevent him/her (me) being impaled on the steering column in the event of a collision. I think this configuration does that very well.
Our goofy laws mean that for a seat belt to be legal, it must be inspected and approved by an automotive engineer. The problem is, engineers are too risk averse to even look at a seat belt installation in a car like a Model A so I wear it illegally thinking that if it became a matter before a court, I would argue "Your honour, I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6."
I don't think there van be a response to that.
 
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