Just wondering what you experienced sidecar pilots feel about the use of a seatbelt. I'm jumping into this endeavor so my grandkids may participate in my exploits. We have not allowed them on the back of my Ultra Classic, so the sidecar is the logical means. They are 4, 6, 8, and 9 years old. The 9 year old rode behind me last week and had a great time. The problem is that she cannot reach the running boards and is a little unsteady as a result. I just ordered in two matching open face helmets in their sizes and purchased a seatbelt but have not installed it yet. So how do you guys feel about it????
Sidecar seatbelts are in common use for small children and even many adults feel better with them. Especially in the early BMW clones (URAL, Dnepr, Chang Jiang)that have a cutout entry that a passenger could fall through in a sudden maneuver if leaning forward. Also they can secure a childs seat and keep other curious kids hands out of the wheel, shock spring, exhaust or other dangerous areas that may be reachable from the hack. A sudden stop won't put a face into the cowl or grab bar.
As far as crash protection goes, the jury is still out on that question. Whether the passenger will be safer in the sidecar or not. Some pro, some con.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
I put a seat belt in my sidecar for my young son. After 3 years of riding, I don't believe it has improved his safety very much. Trapped in the sidecar during a high speed collision, or flipping the rig up side down would be disastrous. My driving judgment is his only insurance. Without an air bag, roll cage or crumple zone, the seat belt is for appearance only. That said, my wife would never let me take him for a ride without one.
I found this one on a CJ site. I am not so sure how easy it is to get into the 3 point harness or even how securely it is actually installed. It is likely overkill though, but it was interesting to see in use.
The mouse trap flip of a Ural rig turning loose from the anchoring points is a concern in use of a seat belt on a Ural. I have never seen any pictures of a wreck in which this actually happened, but many owners do get concerned over the potential for the rear of the hack to flip over. Many Ural owners stap the tub down in the rear with a cable, but Dneprs come with a mount that already provides such a measure of safety. Again, in all the wreck photos I have ever seen of Urals, I have yet to have seen the mouse trap flip actually have happend.
It is really a personal choice to install the seat belt. I know the law in Texas does not address it in sidecar use or requirements. It is probably a "feel good" issue that the owner has to make a decision for himself, as there is really no standard testing to compare for seatbelts in a hack. I have heard the argument that the hack monkey would get smushed on the noggin in a wreck, but I have never seen anything remotely proving such. I believe there are many more statistics showing that riders or passengers flung from any vehicle will suffer more death and injuries than those who were not.
I believe that making the seatbelt safe during installation is even more important than putting one in. Anchoring points need to be just that and not some cobbled up or quickly-rigged attachment that looks good, but works poorly. The wrong use of the correct mounting bolts may seem unimportant, but when I used to work on antique cars, attend all the large car shows and hang with the hot rod crowd, daily, you would not believe how many poor seat belt set ups I viewed. The owners thought they were helping and their set up looked great. A simple low speed wreck would have proved them wrong in many cases.
I really think the idea of seat belts works well for children and in keeping them inside the hack.
I have seen some folks cobble together child seats and even booster seats for their hacks. I don't really think that is necessary or very workable when it comes to safety in a hack. However, it is up to the individual to determine how far they want to go and what they feel works for them.
I don't have seat belts installed in my hack at present. I generally ride with the dogs only, and they have leashes installed for their safety. The two leashes also hook together, so someone could put a kiddo into the hack and feel they were strapped in in some manner of speaking. All bets off in a wreck though.
It is probably the type of wreck that a sidecar gets involved in that is most important. It is unfortunate that there really isn't any clear testing or accurate statistics to look at.
My wife loves her seat belt on our Champion Escort. Of cour4swe she never wears it very tight, or at all, so I guess she would fly out in an accident. I agree, I am her biggest source of safety, not the belt. But I do feel better about her wearing it than not wearing it.
Uber
Hi Guys,
I can think of at least one instance when a set belt would have helped me---taxiing my 30 year-old son around town, and in the parking lot of a store, he decided it would be a good idea to stand up and ride the sidecar like a surfboard or something. I didn't dare stop quickly or he would have gone over the front of the chair, but I did get stopped.
It would have been good to have a seat belt, and to have made him use it.
The silly kid---takes after his mother......
Barb,
This is one (good) example of the type of seatbelt usage I was referring to earlier.
For protecting those who are unable, for some reason, to protect themselves from unknown perils that are not crash related.
Others might read and take heed.
Lonnie
Originally written by North Pole HD on 6/24/2008 11:37 AM
Just wondering what you experienced sidecar pilots feel about the use of a seatbelt. I'm jumping into this endeavor so my grandkids may participate in my exploits. We have not allowed them on the back of my Ultra Classic, so the sidecar is the logical means. They are 4, 6, 8, and 9 years old. The 9 year old rode behind me last week and had a great time. The problem is that she cannot reach the running boards and is a little unsteady as a result. I just ordered in two matching open face helmets in their sizes and purchased a seatbelt but have not installed it yet. So how do you guys feel about it????
I've hauled kids and grandkids that age and younger and have never had a seatbelt. In each case, they seem to enjoy the ride enough that they don't think about moving around. My original concern was that in many states you are required to use the belt if it exists, even if it was not required to have one. Putting one in for a child is fine, but if I get ticketed because it won't go around my 300 plus lb. son I'd be upset. The youngest of the kids is now old enough to be talking about her own rig so it is no longer a consideration here.
Heck, I don't even have a seatbelt in my car! Pre '68, it isn't required!
Dave
A seat belt when the seat's back is low and has no head rest (further back then a car head rest for to give space for the helmet) would even do worse in my eyes because of shake trauma.
In my case I prefer not to have head rest nor seat belt because of riding very often on gravel and much worse back roads.
For a street rig with good roads (something nearly absent in Costa Rica) a (little offset) sturdy head rest and a trouser suspender type four point belt would be a good investment. Remember that in a good street rig you are able to break faster then with a common car and even there you cannot hold up your own weight at an emergency break event.
Not to talk about a small or disabled passenger. Anyhow a fast release is always necessary in my eyes.
Best regards
Sven Peter
If you put a seatbelt AND a rollbar on your solo bike you can even ride without a helmet in Washington.
Lonnie
Lonnie, does that mean that even the ugly BMW scooter becomes a helmet free vehicle? I couldn't even think to ride one, imagine you crash and can't even hopp off any more. (that saved my leather 3 times: whacking away a water hydrant North Germany / sandpit on a cliff in Spain / gear box damage in Death Valley)
Nope, no thanks!
Sven Peter
