jhc@mtung.UUCP (Jonathan Clark) (05/04/85)
<> Just to be strictly accurate, race cars do not use lap-and-diagonal belts, either static or inertia. Neither do military jet aircraft, rally cars, dragsters or anything else that goes really fast. Without exception, they use at least a six-point harness (ie a body harness (like a parachute harness) with six support points, one each side at shoulder, chest and hips). They are invariably static, so that you are really strapped in to the seat and cannot move forwards at all. They depend on the shape of the seat to stop submarining (where you slide out from under the lap belt because it is located too high in the torso and/or the seat slopes forward). Race seats look like really deep bucket seats with a lot of side support. Really serious seats will have an oxygen system built in, which feeds oxygen into the driver's helmet in case of a crash, so that there is something reasonable to breathe. There will also be a roll bar and either a roll cage or a monocoque around the driver. This combination of safety systems gives maximum crash protection where impacts can come from any angle at very high speed. They are continuously being improved upon - perhaps someone who is active in racing could supply more details (you out there Keith?). -- Jonathan Clark [NAC]!mtung!jhc