harnesses legal?

[thinmyster]

hey are harnesses illeagle?

I got a bogus no seatbelt ticket for having my harnesses on but not clicked in or something like that? anyways im going to fight this ticket but im not sure if they are going to hit me with something else... my original seatbelts were removed. now all i have is my 3 point momo's

[RickDaTuner]

yup they are illegal and pretty dayum dangerous with out a roll cage..

I never wear mine on the road only when at the track

[alpineguy]

Since when have these been illegal. I have harnesse's on both sides of my car and I have never gotten a ticket, and I have been pulled over for the no seatbelt thing lots of times.

[thinmyster]

yeah same here.. he didnt say anything about them? he was just like what kinda belts are these?

[alpineguy]

All the cops have ever said to me is be careful, and some cops have never seen a harness before.


thinmyster. why did you take out your stock seatbelts? Thats the reason why he might have given you a ticket..

[thinmyster]

i took them out because my harnesses bolted into the existing holes so there was no point.. and i got the ticket because i dont think he could see me wearing them or something.. then was like they are not done up or something stupid.. i have black seats black belts i was wearing a black shit and my shoulders dont even go over the bottom of the window.. i think he was looking for the typical shoulder strap...

and yeah he was like what kinda belts are these ....
do you do any racing?

[RickDaTuner]

see I have one installed on my car but i dont use it on the road hence the police always see me with a seat belt one

they have always been illegal, anything that didnt come on the car from the factory is illegal now.. just like it is in california.. they used to be pretty lenient on these things, but with the increase of street racers the are cracking down

[thinmyster]

yeah but i cant have both
thats brutal!!!
what would the ticket have been ???
so should i fight this??
im going to go down cause im a poor student anyways!!

[rahim]

they're illegal because they supposedly make it hard for paramedics to cut you out, maybe not be able to get you out in time, or so i heard


are harnesses made out of the same material as regular seatbelts?

[7thgenvic]

Originally posted by rahim
they're illegal because they supposedly make it hard for paramedics to cut you out, maybe not be able to get you out in time, or so i heard


are harnesses made out of the same material as regular seatbelts?

they are the same material, but i didn't know they were against the law either....

[rice_eater]

dude i bet you if you go to the CP they'll throw it out right away. just bring a picture of them done up and point to the guy how they work like a seatbelt and tell him like you told us that they bolt in the stock holes. if he doesnt bite just plea not guilty... i've talked to two judges over the years and they were all very reasonable and completely on your side. seriously, you'd expect them to be dicks but they're cool and they help you along :thumbsup:

[1-Bar]

I dunno about the legality of the issue, but harnesses restrain you in your seat. Its hard to shoulder check when properly done up and they can be a bitch to take off if your in a roll over accident.

I believe thought that if you have somesort of roll cage, or harness bar they are legal since they bolted into the body really good. My harness bar bolts into factory seatbelt locations and the harness wraps around it....no problems....

[Thaco]

it has nothing to do with paramedics cutting you out or safety issues or anything.

it is ILLEGAL TO MODIFY OR REMOVE ANY STOCK SAFETY RESTRAINTS IN A VEHICLE its the same law disabling air bags comes under (unless the option is provided with the vehicle)

[jdmakkord]

I had once gotten a ticket for what Thaco said above, but the cp asked me the following:

Are they made of the same material as the original belts?
YES
Do they come over your shoulder and across your waist?
YES
Hrmmm, these sure sound like seatbelts to me......
YES Sir they do.

And it was taken care of:D

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by rahim
they're illegal because they supposedly make it hard for paramedics to cut you out, maybe not be able to get you out in time, or so i heard


are harnesses made out of the same material as regular seatbelts?

That can't be the reason since child seat is quite similar to a harness.

[sputnik]

I wouldnt want to try to get out of a harness with my car upside down and smoking.

Anyone see the movie Crash?

[Tyler883]

So are they saying that the harnesses are not as safe as a regular seatbelt? With all due respect, if this is the case, why are they required for racing?

sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?

[rahim]

Originally posted by Thaco
it has nothing to do with paramedics cutting you out or safety issues or anything.

it is ILLEGAL TO MODIFY OR REMOVE ANY STOCK SAFETY RESTRAINTS IN A VEHICLE its the same law disabling air bags comes under (unless the option is provided with the vehicle)
i stand corrected

[Thaco]

Originally posted by Tyler883
So are they saying that the harnesses are not as safe as a regular seatbelt? With all due respect, if this is the case, why are they required for racing?

sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?

racing harnesses and the shit harnesses that street cars have are completely diffrent things... in racing the mounting and installation is inspected and verified to be safe, in street cars they are not. In race cars they have 5 point harnesses that at 3" thick belts for all 5 points (generally), i HIGHLY doubt anyone that uses a harness as a normal seatbelt uses it properly and snugs it down properly every time they put it on...

A harness is more dangerous loose than not there at all, as if you hit something if its not tight you'll move a few inches and then get caught and stoopped dead, and youd body will stop but your organs will not. Harnesses are very VERY dangerous devices if incorrectly used and/or installed.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Tyler883
So are they saying that the harnesses are not as safe as a regular seatbelt? With all due respect, if this is the case, why are they required for racing?

sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?

Its probably more of a liability thing. Modifying your safety devices can cause problems with your safety if not installed properly. Harnesses are safer when on the track, however you also arent insured on the track.

If you crash your on the street and the harness you installed fails and you go through the windshield, it is possible that your insurance company would treat you as if you had no seatbelts at all. Where as, if you are in a car crash and your factory seatbelt fails the insurance company can go back to the manufacturer with the claim.

[Primer_Drift]

:hijack:
The majority of the people I see with harnesses instead of seatbelts have them mounted incorrectly. In 3,4 and 5 point harnesses you are required to have the shoulder strap coming over your shoulders and mounted (usually to a roll cage crossbar) at 90* or greater and perpindicular to your seating position. If you have it wrap around the seat and go down into the floor, or off at an angle to where a regular seatbelt shoulder strap mounts you are gambling with your life. In an accident your body will twist like a pretzel and compress or snap your spine :eek:.

That reason alone is good enough for me to why they should be illegal. When installed and tightened correctly they are far superior to a standard seatbelt, but incorrectly your better off not wearing it at all.

[TheBenzo]

HArnesses are 100x safer than stock seatbelts when used 100% properly. Snug, tight and fully fastened. It saves people from 300mph crashes for fuck sake.

[Celica TVS3]

Harness are bad for street driving if:

1) They arn't mounted correctly: they have to be mounted behind the driver at a level higher than his/her shoulders.

2) They arn't used with a roll cage: because they hold the driver in an upright position and the roof of the car could crush the user in its place. A regular over the shoulder belt allows the user to slide to one side if the car rolls and the roof crushes inwards.

3) They arn't worn tight enough.

But they could be very safe if you had it mounted correctly inside a solid roll cage.

[Chester]

Originally posted by TheBenzo
HArnesses are 100x safer than stock seatbelts when used 100% properly. Snug, tight and fully fastened. It saves people from 300mph crashes for fuck sake.

I'm pretty sure your sopposed to have a roll cage when using harnesses though. If your in a rollover accident and your using harnesses without a rollcage good luck getting out.