Hi All!

Got a bit of pickle and wondered what the ClubPolo masses thought about it:

I want to get bucket seats for my project as i really like how much easier it is to drive hard in them.

My engineering friend has told me that the reason normal seatbelts are made as they are is so that your body rolls to one side in an accident and this in itself absorbs loads of the impact.

Apparently (and i see his logic), if you have buckets and harnessess and have a crash, you are far more likely to do serious/fatal neck injuries as the only thing that moves is your head and so your neck takes it all.

This makes sense as rally drivers etc have their helmets clipped in, possibly for this reason.

So... is my friend wrong? Or are lots of modified car owners actually opening themselves up to a higher grade of injury?

Cheers

Marcus

Buckets are alot safer imo, in a harsh crash its possible your old seats will flex/snap due the the wieght of the passanger (you only need to wiggle an old vw seat to know what i mean ), and even with your standard seat belts you still travel a fair distance. Burn marks across the neck can be nasty too, and can break collar bones.

Buckets are better for side on crashes and rear, with standard seats you'd pretty much slide stright in the direction of the crash, where as buckets keep you planted.

there anoying more than harder to drive with, you can get retractable harnasses though :)

Edited 14 March, 201115 yr by mattpolo5491

but, improperly mounted harnesses can cause serious neck and spine injuries. always mount harnesses according to manufacturers instructions

Buckets are alot safer imo, in a harsh crash its possible your old seats will flex/snap due the the wieght of the passanger (you only need to wiggle an old vw seat to know what i mean ), and even with your standard seat belts you still travel a fair distance. Burn marks across the neck can be nasty too, and can break collar bones.

Buckets are better for side on crashes and rear, with standard seats you'd pretty much slide stright in the direction of the crash, where as buckets keep you planted.

there anoying more than harder to drive with, you can get retractable harnasses though :)

I know what you mean... seatbelts can cause some nasty injuries. BUT id happily take a broken collar bone and burnt neck compared to hitting something head on, my body being completely supported and my head shooting forwatd at silly mph and snapping my neck! Sounds extreme but heads are heavy things and hit something solid at 60mph and i dont think a neck could take that abuse.

For side smashes and all else i fully support buckets, just a bit paranoid... I dont want to potentially do something equivalent to doing engine work to get faster but then downgrading your brakes.

I walked away from

With nothing more than a sore neck and a bruised arm, I was kept pretty snug in my buckets which IMO saved a nasty injury

It went end over twice.....

Sam.

Fixed buckets and harnesses without a Rollcage 'apparently' is more dangerous as if you land on your roof there's no chance of movement for you to get your head lower down or out of the way.

^ in theory yes, but if your car is rolling you don't much choice were your head and body goes so really makes little difference.

if you fit a roll cage you should also be wearing a helmet.

I have read that in a road car, standard 3 point belts and buckets are safer than harnesses

Sam.

I have read that in a road car, standard 3 point belts and buckets are safer than harnesses

Sam.

This.

of course if you have no fear you'd replace all of that for just the bucket, to save a few grams

My mate absolutely totalled his car, like off the side of an a road into trees over 100 and the only reason he's alive and unharmed was cause of his seats and harness.

Other person involved was surrounded by airbags and a normal seat belt in a BMW and he was battered. My mate was in a saxo.

About helmets, why do you think they invented hans devices

if your that bothered by harnesses do what i did and have buckets with normal seatbelts?

but, improperly mounted harnesses can cause serious neck and spine injuries. always mount harnesses according to manufacturers instructions

Most guys iv seen using buckets and harnesses in road cars have always had them pritty slack so there more comfortable and can lean out to look for cars at junctions ect, surely this free play in the harness would be fatal in a big accident.

I sufferd a bad accident a few years ago in which a seat belt saved my life, and the thought of people bopping round with Ill fitted seats am harnesses goes through me, may as well just throw a deck chair in there

I suppose buckets and harnesses would be safer if fitted and used properly but just thought id add my 2p

People attach harnesses to the lower rear seat belt mounts, no no no!!

buckets and harnesses are far safer, otherwise why would all forms of motorsport use them? i had just 2days previous removed my buckets and harnesses and replaced with my stock seats and seatbelt before i had my accident, it because of my seatbelt that alowed my body to roll near the window that left me permanently facealy scared and almost blind, if idve left my buckets in then i would prob have got away with a few scratches but hey thats life. just be sure you buy quality items that are fia approved rather than just some cheap seats that look good

Buckets and harness only safe with a roll cage as if you go onto your roof (which isn't unheard of) you stand to have the weight of a car on your neck... They will however save you from dying in an impact where your a pillar collapses as with normal belts your going into it face first.

Buckets and harness only safe with a roll cage as if you go onto your roof (which isn't unheard of) you stand to have the weight of a car on your neck...

I'll have to dissagree with that statement, most bucket seats are a lot higher in the backrest than the average persons upper body, so in the event of a rollover the roof would contact the top of the seat before it touched your head, and full harnesses would hold you firm in the seat stopping you from falling onto the roof and breaking your neck, unlike a standard seat where your head is above the useless headrests, so in the rollover the roof would be straight down onto your skull and the standard seat belts would'nt hold as firm.

Most buckets other than top end ones are about level with average height head , and if not, if an impact makes a roof collapse, I'm sure a fiberglass seat won't hold up any better.

Sorry but how is a standard seat gonna help when you roll? Do you really think you get chance to duck lmao

You aren't held in tight and straight so you flop as opposed to being pile driven if that makes sense?

You ever been in a rolling car? Ever thought your huge weight and inertia maybe taking control over any you think you may have haha.

I'll go put a 3 point standard seat belt in my race car, the scruitineers will love it

I have not, several friends have tho, nothing too bad luckily.

Flip side I'll get my mate to remove his roll cage and see how the scrutineers like that?

Either way, this is going away from my initial point and crystal clear explaination of what situation having them without a cage is potentially fatal.

I see your logic.

It depends on situation.

I have a friend who's only alive because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.

Every crash is so different lol

If you're going to use buckets, do it properly with a cage and harnesses, if not don't bother.

Using buckets and harnesses without a cage makes your head the impact zone if to were to roll it. Using buckets with standard inertia belts isn't a great idea as the seat is normally the highest point that the belt will touch Meaning it won't stop you from moving forwards at speed unlike in a normal seat where te highest point is normally your shoulder.

As for not having time to duck, alot of people say this but surely it's human instinct, no matter how much time you have?

tbh, who gives a shit. if you dive sensibly you should have no reason to end up upside down

i put alot of it down to luck really, my friend rolled his car and he wasnt wearing a seatbelt at all and he crawled out of it without a scratch. if you have a crash, just hope that luck is on your side!