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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!digi-g!dan
From: dan@digi-g.UUCP (Dan Messinger)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.med,net.consumers
Subject: Re: shoulder belt
Message-ID: <263@digi-g.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Oct-84 11:05:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: digi-g.263
Posted: Mon Oct  1 11:05:56 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Oct-84 19:21:49 EDT
References: <4924@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: DigiGraphic Systems Corp., Mpls.  MN
Lines: 29

>Another solution, which can be a pain in two door cars like the
>Mustang, is to install a clip to hold the belt lower than the
>strangle position.

You already stated part of the reason I didn't put in a clip to hold the
belt in a better place.  What a pain!  A person would have to crawl
though the belts to get into the back seat.  Also, while the clips
may hold the belt in a confortable position to riding, I fear that
the stress on inpact would break the clip, allowing the belt to move back
to my wife's throat. (Keeping her chest from hitting the stearing wheel
isn't real important if her head goes though the windshield anyways ...)
There isn't anything structural near the edge of the front seat to
secure the clip to, either.  (BTW, the original shoulder belt was fine
for me at 5'10", but not for people around 5'0").

And regarding the cars that have those clips factory installed.  I have
seen may of them broken through every day tugging while getting into
and out of the seatbelts (or going though them to get to the back seat
of a two-door).  I would not trust those little clips to hold the belt
in a safe place during an accident.  In most cars, however, the clips
are only used to hold the belt in a convenient place while the belt is
not in use, and have little or no effect on the placement of the belt
when it is in use.

And yes, I am a firm believer in seatbelts.  Wouldn't drive around the
block without one (as long as it doesn't look like a noose  :-) ).

Dan Messinger
ihnp4!umn-cs!digi-g!dan