Roll bar on the street... Safe?
 

Hello, I try to be as safe as possible while ragging out my [3] and I was thinking of putting in a rear hoop and diagonal like M2 sells. My question is would this be safe on the street where your head is NOT in a helmet? You sometimes hear of the bar smashing the person's head in a bad accident... I guess I'm wondering if the good outweighs the possible bad in this case...

Thanks!
Brian

Pad the bar and ware a harness, to keep you straped in the seat so you can't hit your head.

Wearing a harness on the street? No way! Too uncomfortable and you can't even reach the glove box.

Gene

Hey it's the only thing I can think of, that will keep you in the seat and not smack your head.

Well I'm going to go with the harness on the street... the ONLY time I drive my [3] is to go out and raise hell, so it won't bother me too much... I don't even think I've ever opened the glove box in my car... for all I know there's a million dollars and Jimmy Hoffa's skull in there.

Brian

harness on the street is useless, it's your head snapping BACKWARDS that's the problem..

I have a rollbar in the Trans Am.. Not recommending it, not saying it's safe, but I do it. YMMV.

PaulC

Regarding a harness on the street-- I believe others have told me it's illegal in Va., maybe elsewhere.. also, in a harness, how do you lean forward to check your blind spot? Can you efficiently reach the extra controls for street use (turn signals, windshield wipers, hazard lights, light switches, etc.)

Just some things to think about... I don't have a good answer, but I'm just trying to help you make a decision with as much information as you can get..

edit: boy my grammar sucks..

Damn Everything is illegal in VA isn't it.

I'll check my blind spot the way I do now... I don't worry about it too much. I simply see a gap ahead of me, and use the accelerator to grab it. :)

Good point though.

Yeah, Virginia is the lamest state I've ever heard of regarding traffic laws.


Brian

my suggestion is to install the rollbar and harness and use the car on the track only and quit "ragging" on the street. if you intend to rage on the street don't use the roll bar and harness both will limit your ability reach many normal controls and is bound to be illegal in any state(harness not DOT legal). plus it will draw significant attention from your local law enforcement community. Please keep the "racing" on the track because all these deadly accidents on the highway slow down my tow to the race track

Check this set of belts from OMP.
I won a set of these at the Hyper-Fest Time Trial. I think they sell for about $130

http://www.ompracing.it/prod/cinture/da430en.htm

They have a retractor to allow you to move about, but it will lock up very quickly under any acceleration.

Do put padding on the bar. I was in a bad wreck in my old Midget and had padding on the roll bar and still ended up getting knocked out.

EXCELLENT POINT:)

LOL :>

Wasn't Jimmy's head too big to fit in a 3rd gen glove box?

Seriously, if you want a good harness that you can use on the street and track, take look at Schroth. They make a SMART (Sensor Modulated Automatic Restraint Technology) harness that is mounted to a spool (like OEM) that will allow you to move around in the car, but will lock in an accident. You can also buy a switch for full lock for track events.

Check out http://www.soloperformance.com/catalog_harness.htm

Gene

A harness is illegal on the streets, unless it's D.O.T. approved. I know a harness is built to higher standards than stock seat belts, but that's the law when it comes to safety equipment; such as lights, tires, wheels, windsheilds, and seatbelts.

As far as a roll bar, it will definately help if you decide to roll the car one day.

you know what? I'll risk the seatbelt ticket if it saves my ass.

Brian

If I had a roll bar, I'd have 5 point harnesses. Uncomfortable, yes, but not nearly as uncomfortable as having your skull take the shape of some chromeoly piping...

In the event of a rollover, the chances of a rollbar crushing one's skull are far less likely than that of the roof crushing the skull without a rollbar, particularly if the rollbar is of sufficient quality and is installed properly. Most of the danger from contacting the rollbar in a rollover is due to failure of the rollbar itself and/or improper rollbar padding. Why do you think the DOT doesn't mandate 5 point harnesses on Jeep Wranglers?

A defective, poor quality, or improperly installed roll bar will actually contact your skull with greater frequency wearing a 5-point harness rather than with the stock seatbelt. This is because the majority of the time human head is forced forward in a rollover accident in conjuction with a collapsing roof. The solution is getting a good rollbar, installing it properly, and using good padding. And, of course, not to rollover.

The biggest danger is wearing a harness without a rollbar!

Wearing a racing (i.e., not ratractable) 5 or 6-point harness is not advisable on the street and is dangerous for the reasons stated earlier. If you've ever worn one for > 10 minutes you'd never want to use it on the street unless is was the retractable type.

Gene

All good points, Gene.

Usually the reasons for wearing harnesses on the street are just veiled rationalizations. People think they are safer, but really just want the pimp factor.

Another item to consider is spinal compression in an accident. Unless you are using a true racing seat with harness slots in the back above your shoulders, you run the risk of the harnesses pulling down on your shoulders and, ultimately, compressing your spine. It is very hard to find a roll bar that allows you to mount the shoulder harnesses high enough above your shoulders to avoid this.

My advice: take tims advice.

I do not want to "rag" on the street yet I still want a harness and cage! I want the correct seats too with the shoulder things. Because I do plan on using my car for track events.

But I wonder, there are many sports cars that have the harnesses...wouldn't they all be illegal in VA? Or do they "look the other way" because they are expensive cars?

I'm in CA and have a Autopower bar and a Sabelt 5pt camlock harness and a Corbeau ForzaII seat. I drive it to work every day. I got pulled over for 100mph in a 65 and just got a speeding ticket, he did not mention the harness at all, just asked if it came with turbos from the factory :-D
-Jedon

Consider yourself lucky. Maybe the laws are different in Cali, I don't know. In Florida, they would have hauled your arse to jail for that speed. :)

the only harness i know of that's street legal - DOT approved- is the Schroth harness. make sure it has the ASM (i think that's the name of it). release mechanism that has give in case of a collision. as for me, my car is soon to be off the road. almost done converting it to an SCCA ITS road race car. it's still street legal tho. replacing the exhaust in the next week or so. (for anyone interested, i am selling my mindtrain header, bonez cat, and corksport cat-back). anyway... i'm running a 6 point rollcage and 5 point sabelt harness. as for attention, the car is black and the cage is red, as well as the harness. yes, it stands out. no trouble w/ the law. well, minus the repair warning i got for the exhaust last nite. doh! corksport silencer has been ordered...

mike
'90 gxl

there are a couple harnesses that are DOT legal. but really, you will never get a ticket for having one that isn't, unless the cop REALLY hates you.

I have a 7-point CUSCO, Im 5-11 and no chance of hiting the rollcage in my car... If you get a good cage they will be very close to the roof and not your head.. PLUS YES PAD IT...

Jason
www.jt-imports.com

On Summit Racing.com they have RCI 5 pt camlock seat belts that I use. Good price, look great, meet the NHRA guidelines and NASA/SCCA requirements.....

I say put the cage in the car and use the 5 pt belts. Nothing like "suiting" up with the belts to go for a drive. The feeling is great!!!!

GNX7