Lap belts better than no belts? (1 Viewer)

[Jim]

Many motorhomes have only a couple of forward facing 3 point belts. Those of you that carry children, what do you do with regard to belts. We have all heard about the horrendous injuries that can be caused by lap belts in an accident, but are they better than nothing?..

Many motorhomes and recreational vehicles cannot have three point belts fitted because of the lack of suitable strong points. So when you have your kids on board are they wearing lap belts only and are these better than nothing? Are we risking more serious injuries by wearing them, especially as most of these are sideways sitting as well!

 

[vanessa]

Personally, I'd rather my kids had lap belts than no belts at all. Sure, a lap belt may cause nasty injuries, but that's nothing compared to the injuries they'd receive being thrown around in or even out of the vehicle. In addition, an unrestrained child becomes a dangerous missile in an accident, and could seriously injure or even kill the front seat passengers.

In my opinion, yes, a lap belt is better than no belt.

 

[Suzy]

In our RV, we only have lap belts so have no choice. I still think they are better than no belts.

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[Ralph-Dot]

We have four three point, forward facing belts and two rear facing lap pelts, I would think that anything is better than none and we are not driving Ferraris (or are we? I some time forget and think I am).

Ralph

 

[Road Runner]

Personally I find my lap belt is a nuisance when i get up to put the kettle on

 

[motoroamin]

There is also a distinction between lap belts on a rearward facing seat, a forward facing seat, and a side facing seat.

If rear-facing and with full headrest on the seat, this is least likely to be a problem - most collisions are in forward motion. A proper headrest is vital.

On a forward facing seat, there is little to arrest forward momentum of the passenger in the event of collision, so the benefit is minimal - the opposing forces of restraint on the lower body compared to the unrestrained upper body can still result in serious injury, although front passengers are less likely to suffer.

On a side seat, there is the highest risk of injury, particularly to internal organs, as the body folds sideways in a forward collision.

The law will be changing, but it's preferable to aviod using 2 points, except for rear facing seats with headrests on a manufacturer fitted frame.

And then there's the new child seat law which also applies to motorhomes - ever tried fitting a booster seat on a dinette?

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