Seat belt malfunctioned after hitting deer. pics
 

1988 Vert:
I was going about 60mph and not more than 80 feet behind my wife's car when I struck a deer. The deer flipped up and hit above the windshield. Having the top down, the deer ended up hitting me with it's back.

I am confused and extremely upset that my seat belt did not lock. I was jolted forward and I hit the part of the roof where the sun visor is and bending the sun visor. I headed to the hospital and I was relieved that I only relieved a minor concussion. Today my neck is sore and back is sore as hell only getting relief in a neck brace.

I'm beyond stunned why this happened. The belt didn't lock. This was a deer I hit, what if it was a car or something more permanent like a tree? Has anyone else had an issue with the seat belt?

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e4...618_094358.jpg

where the deer hit above the windshield
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e4...618_094424.jpg

this where my head hit http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e4...618_094439.jpg

Damn well I'm glad your okay and still here.

25yr old car?

Sorry to hear, but glad your alright. I played with the seatbelts a little while back and found they definitely do take a good jolt to get them lock up. They use the same locking mechanism that standard seatbelts do nowadays, so that isn't directly to blame. I've also seen pictures of demolished FC's and testaments to their crashworthiness, so there isn't much of a history of it being a deathtrap. I think you had a mix of unfortunate situations that allowed this to happen.

-Hitting the deer's legs probably didn't decelerate the car enough to engage the latch. Sort of a glancing blow rather than a sudden impact. Preventing the seatbelts from activating as they would need to in this situation.
-Then the deer hit high up on the car causing the cowl to flex downward.
-You hit your head on a lightly covered metal bar that sticks straight out at your noggin.
-The seatbelt only engages the driver at the shoulder. Your head will move unless you wear a HANS type device.

I can't see any clear fault unless you can prove the seatbelt is defective and didn't lock at x.x G's of acceleration. I just comes down to the fact that a deer is a really sh*tty thing to hit.

Glad you're safe. I'd suggest getting rid of the original seat belt and install a harness instead.

Ill donate a pair of headlights providing that you supply the transit fees.