Coasters / Seatbelts

with all the talk about seatbelts since the tragedy at HW, i was just wondering if the manufacturers could actually set it up so that the riders couldnt actually unlock the seatbelts until they had returned to the station?

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John
Albany Entertainment
http://albany.n3.net

I am sure they could, I was wondering if that is the case with X-flight. I rode that yesterday and noticed that when I entered the station when the ride was over that I could not unlock my seat belt right away. Does anyone know if this is a locking seat belt?

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My knex coasters
GOCC member # 671

i think it would be a pretty good idea. they could set it up so that it somehow pressurize's the belt, which in turn wouldnt allow the rider to be able to release the belt until they returned to the station where it would be unpressurized allowing the rider to release it.

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John
Albany Entertainment
http://albany.n3.net

Yes it is a locking seatbelt, but X-Flight has an unbelievable amount of computer systems on board.

We have gone 100 years with no problems, the fact of the matter is that if someone is willing to work hard enough they can get out of their restraints no matter what those restraints are.

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Unfrigginbelievably Incredible

very true, but then again look at the coasters that we now ride compared to those years ago.

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John
Albany Entertainment
http://albany.n3.net
Great Escape Online Guide Coming Soon!

What difference does that make? The Raven is really no different then a wooden coaster built 100 years ago.

Height, speed, inversions, whatever a 40 foot fall or a 300 foot fall, either has very bad results.
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Unfrigginbelievably Amazing

I was thinking about this myself & have come to the conclusion that adding a coomputerized locking mechanism to the lapbelts similar to the one used on X-Fight/Batwing/Stealth could really help prevent tragedies like the one at HW.

The accident occurred because of two contributing factors,first off the rider was riding with the lap bar paractically in the open position & 2nd she had removed her lap belt just as soon as the train was out of the station & out of site of the ride staff.

They should also bring back buzz bars,that along with the computer controlled locking system for the lap belts would be a safer solution to the problem IMO,of course they could go one step further & add horsecollars & we certainly don't want that now do we?

Locking seatbeslt... bad idea. What happens when you need to unlock the train and evac the riders in an emergency, and the train isn't in the station (lift, brakes, or on the course)? You'd have real trouble then.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Retractable seatbelts, like those we found on OW this past week, those are the ones we'll be seeing more of in the future (where I come from)...;). In addition, sensors on most trains will tell where/when a seatbelt is unlocked that will prevent the train from moving through the next block. Locking the restraints closed, as GP mentioned, definitely not the solution....

I will have more to say on the issue, I assure you....

I'm sure that the designers would think of that, GP.

The easiest way would be a seat belt slot in the seat, with a release button that doesn't work unless triggered. They could simply put a trigger that only fires when the train is allowed to be emptied. There is one example of this, and that's Soarin' Over California.

Of course, SOC is not a coaster.
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MAGNUM HURTS!!!!!!
TTD WAS NOT OPEN FOR COASTERMANIA!!!!!!!
I CAN'T MAKE A GOOD SIGNATURE!!!!!!!

Well Bill, there *are* some trains without seatbelts... Mindender, cough cough.

The only ride at SFOG that won't let you dispatch without harnesses and belts in place and locked is SUF. The rest you can send out with the restraints pretty much open. Who knows what the future will bring, though.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

GP, I already told you, *I* know what the future will bring....then again, I'm the one predicting the Nets in 6. Let's see....:)

BTW, I was referring to *future* coasters....;)

Expect a long editorial "in the near future"....;)

LoCoSuMo cages for all woodies in the future, you won't need lap bars or restraints. All the airtime you want as long as you don't mind bouncing off the top of the cage. ;)

I already said that I wouldn't comment on the Raven Incident and I'll leave it at that.

I do know that some park chains put NO faith in seatbelts for just the reason that they can be undone by the rider. These parks only have belts on rides that the manufacture requires them on and only as a SECONDARY restraint messure.

Chuck, still in a state of shock but getting better.

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Charles Nungester.
It's official Lesourdsville Lake is closed for 2003

I'll put it like this. I saw some really dumb stuff in my time as a ride operator. One thing I picked up on is that no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot protect people from their own ignorance.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

A locking seat belt wouldn't be hard to create even without electronics on the train. We already do it all the time with lap bars. Using a fixed socket that the belt is plugged into, it is easy to do mechanically. It could also be released manually out on the course in the event of a valley, etc. just as lap bars are.

I am concerned though about going too far to idiot proof everything. We don't want to follow the spirit of the Disney lawyers' proposal to put OTSRs on Splash Mountain.

Let's call that an "alleged proposal", eh, Jim? Consider the source, after all... :)

It doesn't matter how idiot-proof you make a system. Some fool will find a way to still get into trouble with it. Personally, I think we already go too far. As a culture we have forgotten about managing risk in favor of attempting to eliminate it entirely, with the result that we don't have as much fun, and we still get hurt.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

A quote from I-don't-know-where (maybe Dilbert / Scott Adams)......

"As soon as you design something that's idiot-proof, the world will go and design a better idiot."

Later,
EV
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Remember that if you're one in a million, that means that there are 5000 other people on Earth just like you.

If they are going to put on locking seatbelts, they might as well do the same to automobiles. The car doesn't start till you put your seatbelt on and the belt doesn't come off till your turn your car off. After all far more people die in automobiles accidents than riding in coasters. Yet you don't see any locking seatbelt options at the dealership.

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-Jen (JDee)
*** This post was edited by JDee 6/9/2003 5:38:32 PM ***

Good point JDee, to tell you the truth, i don't care if we do get a seat belt that locks in place eventhough it would be better.Let the rider do what ever he pleases, hey its his life.Why would you do it in the first place "because i wanted airtime" go ahead tell that to god when you die, see if he forgives.

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A true enthusiast goes on the kiddie coasters.