Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site digi-g.UUCP 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.consumers Subject: Re: shoulder belt Message-ID: <275@digi-g.UUCP> Date: Fri, 5-Oct-84 09:08:27 EDT Article-I.D.: digi-g.275 Posted: Fri Oct 5 09:08:27 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 7-Oct-84 02:34:21 EDT References: <4924@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <263@digi-g.UUCP>, <463@watdcsu.UUCP> Organization: DigiGraphic Systems Corp., Mpls. MN Lines: 40 >The problem with the malpositioned shoulder belts is limited to >American cars; European and Japanese cars have the seat belt spool >mounted on the floor, with a loop (?) on the door post for the >shoulder belt. This allows infinitely better positioning than having >the spool (or the other end, for that matter) on the ceiling. I basically agree. My Mustang, however, has the belt spool mounted low and inside the wall, with just a loop to pass the belt through mounted near the ceiling. This loop is mounted too high! And actually, I have only noticed this problem in Fords. My wife has had no problems with the seatbelts of Toyotas, Hondas, Chevettes, AMC Concords, and our full size Blazer. All of these vehicles that I am familiar with have mounted the loop in a proper (lower) position that works well for short people. One note about the Chevette. The loop is mounted to the end of an ~8 inch steel bar that holds the loop down from the ceiling. The bar is swivel mounted so it does not obstruct the doors when getting into the car. If I had thought of this eight years ago, I would have attempted to install a simialar device in my Mustang. But even the auto makers had not though of this eight years ago..... :-) And while I'm in the process of flaming Ford's designs, another thing I don't like is the headrests. (or has this been discussed already) I thought that head rests were meant to reduce whiplash during an accident. The headrests in my Mustang are positioned 6 to 8 inches behind the drivers head. I was rear-ended a while back (not seriously, but I did have a sore neck for a few days) and I don't think my head came close to hitting the headrest. I have noticed the same thing in other Fords. In non-Ford vehicles, the headrests are only 1 or 2 inches behind the drivers head. This seems much more functional. Is it really only Ford that mounts the headrests so far back? Is there a good reason for mounting headrests 6 to 8 inches behind the drivers head instead of 1 to 2 inches? (I bet some of you are wondering why I ever bought this Mustang that I complain about so much. Well, I didn't. It was my wife's before we were married.) Dan Messinger ihnp4!umn-cs!digi-g!dan