Harness Popping

[Sam]

[quote=""Bote""]Meh, X:NWO's lapbars are ropey at the best of times :P Thankfully the ride doesn't rely on them much.[/quote]
I think X:NWO is fine. I don't recall any major incidents with Vekoma, especially involving opening lapbars!

[themealgang]

This has happened to me a few times...

The first was on Nemesis. As the coaster train flung through the zero G roll, the restraint popped out by one notch. It didn't bother me too much as I knew I was perfectly safe.

The second time it happened was on Shockwave at Drayton Manor. The bit that keeps you in a standing position moved up a notch; lifting my feet off the floor. It bloody scared me and me being a bloke, provided a very uncomfortable ride as you can imagine! I still ride Shockwave though due to it's charm... You can't go wrong with it STILL being Europe's only stand up coaster.

[themealgang]

[quote=""HAJiME""]How would a strap not save you in the event of a failure? With the seatbelt done up, I cannot get out of a B&M restraint. I've tried out of curiosity on the test seats.

Not that I believe this person's restraint failed on Dragon Khan... And not that I doubt you at all. I'm just nosey, and is there any chance you're able to tell us how you know this stuff?[/quote]

When I was out in Florida, I did the coaster insider tour of Montu. They talked about the restraints; they can't fail. In addition, they said that the B&M seatbelt is useless. It's not a safety feature at all and is just a guide. If the seatbelt does not fasten, the restraint isn't locked down far enough for the rider to be restrained correctly. Like previously mentioned on this forum, it's there for "regular" guests as a false sense of security.

I'm all for B&M getting rid of them. It would improve throughput dramatically, but at the same time can see why they are used today.

[TB2]

Never had a Harness 'pop'. I feel a bit left out now. Seems to happen on B&M's the most which would explain a lot. I'm the perfect size for them so they can't go any further down but far enough up that I'm very comfortable.

B&M :love:

[Bote]

[quote=""Sam""][quote=""Bote""]Meh, X:NWO's lapbars are ropey at the best of times :P Thankfully the ride doesn't rely on them much.[/quote]
I think X:NWO is fine. I don't recall any major incidents with Vekoma, especially involving opening lapbars![/quote]

I didn't mean it like that. I meant that the lapbars on X are very iffy asin not seeming to lock. They don't exactly lock tight, so it's understandable you may think they've poped given how much they move.

[dominoes]

Oh, I didn't realise we could also talk about popping out a notch. Happened on Rush, frightened the hell out of me...

[siralgenon]

I'm not arguing other wise because I don't much about restraints but lets just say IF it DID happen and a restraint came unlocked on lets say Rita, surely the strap would hold the restraint from fully opening and gives you a chance to pull it back down?

[Big Dave]

Yes it would.

[Bote]

On a coaster like Rita then yes it probably would hold it down for you. But it's not taking any strain on a coaster like Rita, due to the fact that you are never really forced against it. On a ride where your weight is fully against the restraint, plus all the forces from the ride then it would not take much.

The piece of belt itself may be reasonably strong, however, the locking mechanisms are very basic, and would certainly not hold a deal of weight when it's pressed against them.

It is very important to remember though that throughout a roller coaster our bodys are subjected to lots of forces. Sometimes they make us light and weightless. Other times they make us heavier. These forces not only effect us though. Ever part of the coaster car, train, and track will experience changes. These changes in force and weight can cause things to become weaker, or act differently. So whilst the buckle may feel reasonably sturdy in the station when it is being put under these forces it can easily become weaker.

The restraints themselves though are designed to be as safe as possible. This is why the belt is not made from some expensive, wear resistant, durable material, as 99.9% of the time it is serving no purpose. It would take a major mechanical failure for the belt to need to take the whole rider's weight.

This is the reason why B&M have never had an issue with restraint failure. There are too many things which would need to go wrong at the same time for there to be any issue. Even in the event that one component can go wrong there are plenty of failsafes to ensure that there is something in place. The belt is the absolute last resort, and it is highly unlikely that it will be needed. That's why it is not as strong as you might expect.

[siralgenon]

Like already said with 'it just makes the general guests feel safer' I feel more safe with a Nemesis B&M restraint than a Corkscrew / Space Mountain (DLP) Vekoma restraint.

[Magrathea]

And that is possibly a negative aspect of seatbelts on rides, being that now they've been built, they're expected, meaning extra expenditure and extra faff when dispatching, and people view any coasters built without them as not-so-safe. I'd be interested to see what a public reaction to Alton removing the belts on, say, Nemesis would be.

[seanyboyuk]

Ive had it happen on blivvy too a few times but it doesnt stop me going on!

[Pricey ;)]

If you think of a ride like say a Booster for exaple, now that has alot of weight/force put on it, especially if theres 2 people in the car and its tilted towards to ground. I havent yet ridden one with a belt and personally i prefur it without one, it gives it that more 'edgey' feel if you know what i mean.. :eyebrow:

I to would love to see the reaction of no belts on something like oblivion or nemesis as i know that loads of people think their there to save your life.. [-X

[Big Dave]

That is my point exactly. Look at how many fairground rides have belts, look at how many modern coaster companies have belts. Very few nowadays install them as there is literally no point to them.

[Bear]

Flamingoland's Corkscrew had them installed a couple of seasons ago, but they're there to actually save your life as a sneaky look at their maintenance history proves!

[Big Dave]

Yes but are the belts fastened to the steel harness structure or just super clued onto the surface :P

[Bear]

The belts wrap around the bottom of the harness and are screwed onto the car's shell... along with the rest of the restraints... all in all not very safe! :P

[Bote]

Can we just be clear, that a piece of rope tied in a knot does not class as a "belt" or "safety feature" :P

[AstroDan]

Comfort arrangement is the proper term for the 'belts' on Rita and the B&Ms.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Vicki]

I've had restraints pop before, really doesn't bother me when they pop up, but when I get to the end of a ride and find I've inadvertently stapled myself in, that's a tad annoying!

A funny story about Oblivion: On about my 3rd ever ride, I'd read on here about taking the belt out on the break run to increase throughput, so I did. Friend sitting next to me looks horrified.

"Vicki, don't do that yet!"

and then a second later:

"Oooh your harness didn't open. I thought the belt was the only thing keeping you locked in."

^^^ THAT is why I think we'll be seeing belts on coasters for a good while yet.