Car Seats

[bengee]

I am currently looking for a 4 or 5 point harness seat for my 944. I was involved in a bad accident (not in my car and no i wasnt driving) and i think its best to ensure the safety of myself and my gf. So i have a couple of questions.

What companies make the most comfortable seats.
Which is better 4 or 5 point harnesses,
Is there any place i can sit in a seat before purchasing it.

That is it at the moment. I will edit if any others come up in my mind or in this thread.

 

[-Fred-]

4 and 5 point harnesses on the streets will be much more dangerous than a 3 point belt. They hold you in place firmly, and in the event of a rollover or a roof height impact, you can't duck, and end up getting crushed. Running a rollcage with a cross bar is the only way to safely mount harnesses, but cages aren't street friendly (trust me). As far as seats go, anything with an FIA rating, like Cobra, OMP, Sparco or Recaro. They're usually far more supportive than your stock seats, but that doesn't necessarily means they're much safer.

So, bottom line, if you're looking for safety, keep your 3 point belts. Or, get a new car, with airbags and other safety devices. 👍

 

[boombexus]

4 and 5 point harnesses on the streets will be much more dangerous than a 3 point belt. They hold you in place firmly, and in the event of a rollover or a roof height impact, you can't duck, and end up getting crushed. Running a rollcage with a cross bar is the only way to safely mount harnesses, but cages aren't street friendly (trust me). As far as seats go, anything with an FIA rating, like Cobra, OMP, Sparco or Recaro. They're usually far more supportive than your stock seats, but that doesn't necessarily means they're much safer.

So, bottom line, if you're looking for safety, keep your 3 point belts. Or, get a new car, with airbags and other safety devices. 👍

WOW! Interesting info PR.

Damn it, quit editing your post.

So, understanding the info you gave about a 4-5 point harness being dangerous in a "rollover" or "roof height" impact, would they still be safer than a regular 3 point in more common accident conditions?

 

[-Fred-]

Well, the point of a racing harness is to keep you pinned in your seat, to make sure you're not moving around. That means your head won't get in contact with the airbag, which could also mean upper body injuries, mainly to the neck and head area. That problem can be "amplified" by the way your seat is bolted to the floor, by the kind of seat you're running ( never run harnesses on stock seats, unless your car is something like a 911 GT2 or a 360 Stradale, of course. 99.999% of the seats automakers put in their cars are made to deform slightly under an impact, in an effort to further absorb the crash's energy, dispersing it away from your body.), the way they're fixed to the floor, and ultimately, the kind of seatbelts you're running, and how they are attached.

 

[bengee]

Three point seatbelts also lead to massive injury in accidents. Broke a rib and my clavicle. But your advice PR is definitely good to know. Thanks all...

 

[boombexus]

Ha! Only "Super Moderators" are allowed to post in this thread.


So PR, how is the racing cockpit different than the cockpit of the normal passenger car?
Right now, it really seems that a 4 or 5 point harness is dangerous. However, they must be beneficial since they are so widely used in the racing community.

 

[-Fred-]

Ha! Only "Super Moderators" are allowed to post in this thread.


So PR, how is the racing cockpit different than the cockpit of the normal passenger car?
Right now, it really seems that a 4 or 5 point harness is dangerous. However, they must be beneficial since they are so widely used in the racing community.

Racecars have a bunch of safety related stuff that isn't found on a normal road going car, for the sake of comfort. You don't want to twist yourself over a set of metal tubes to fit yourself into a non-adjustable seat.

4-5 point harnesses are beneficial when used properly, with a safe rollcage that basically makes a box over the driver (and passenger, if you're in a rally car) which will protect the said driver under a massive accident, while adding structural rigidity. Racing seats are usually made of one piece, and they're bolted right to the floorboard, to make sure they don't move around at the moment of impact. But that usually means that crashes will be harder on your body, sometimes hurting you badly, or even killing you ( ie, Dale Earnhardt). That's why the HANS (Head and Neck Support), neck braces and full face helmets were invented. These devices reduce the amount of movement your head/upper body will do in the event of an accident, reducing the amount of injuries. Basically, you're moving with your seat, and the seatbelts keep you pinned to it, while the rollcage makes sure you don't get crushed into bits.

 

[Josh]

Ha! Only "Super Moderators" are allowed to post in this thread.

w00t!
But yeah, PR knows wtf he's talking about. I was going to mention that it's dangerous to run harnesses in a daily driven car(just as it's dangerous to run a cage in a daily driven car), but it wouldn't have looked all nice and spiffy like PR's posts.

 

[boombexus]

w00t!

We should lock this thread so that only Moderators can post in it.

But yeah, PR knows wtf he's talking about. I was going to mention that it's dangerous to run harnesses in a daily driven car(just as it's dangerous to run a cage in a daily driven car), but it wouldn't have looked all nice and spiffy like PR's posts.

It definately sounds like he does. Thanks for the very detailed explanation PR!

 

[boombexus]

I saw "Goomba" reading this thread so I locked it in case he wanted to reply.

Haha. What a mortal.

 

[Josh]

We should lock this thread so that only Moderators can post in it.

Haha, I thought about doing that before anyone else could post in it too!

Good stuff. Goomba =

 

[-Fred-]

That sounds a bit unfair...

No need for thank you's, it's all fair.

 

[MazKid]

In '97 I went through a sort of off-set crash test, getting hit in our MPV head on by an older Dodge Ram delivery van. The van hit us with the passenger corner smack in the center of the front of the MPV, at 40-45mph(we were stopped), and sent our '89 MPV spinning around to complete a 180 or so.
I was in the front passenger seat and the seatbelt really did save my life...if I didn't have it on I'd be out the windshield. I walked away with some minor bruises from the seat belt but nothing else. Can't see how a 4 or 5 point belt would be beneficial, unless you plan to wreck at a high rate of speed. Also with those belts you'll surely need a Haans device, and a helmet. I'd be pretty wierded out if a guy in a 944 pulled up next to me looking like that.

Ohh...uhh...we're still doing this mod-only post, right?

 

[bengee]

I am fine with only mods being able to post in this thread. If anyone wants to respond they can always pm. But i think i have enough good info here. Thanks all.