Seatbelt Question

Maybe Rideman can answer this one. I know that patrons in the park should follow posted rules and safety guidelines on rides, and this topic isn't aimed to throw park guidelines into the wind.

What are seatbelts for when used in conjunction with a lapbar?

My guess, would be to make sure smaller people stay safe when a lap bar can only click down so low. Could it possibly be a mental security blanket for park patrons worried about being safe. Or do lap bars not provide sufficient protection for the rider.

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"Ooo. They have the Internet on computers now."
-Homer Simpson

My guess would be for in the event of lap bar failure. I think its a safety measure taken.

Lap belts work well, but with smaller people, a seatbelt may be necessary.

Or in the case of one lap bar holding in the whole row of riders.  A larger person can keep the bar up a bit, leaving room for movement by smaller people.

I personally think they are just a "back-up" system for lap bar failure.

I imagine with the risks of amusement rides, and the publicity it gets, that there are back up measures for a lot fo safety devices on the rides, not just on the restraints.

In some cases (Phantom's Revenge, Shivering Timbers) the seat belt seems to work as the primary restraint.  I could not imagine a ride on either of those rides without a seatbelt and I think that explains why MA has signs all over ST saying that they will eject you if they catch you with your seat belt off on the ride.
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It's a simple equation: CCI + CP = #1 Wooden Coaster!

Seatbelts are great ! They let you leave the lapbar looser, since you have them as a backup (or at least that is my experience at most parks - w/ a belt, the ride ops are less strict about loose lap bars).

I know at the back of some of the old woodies at Blackpool Pleasure Beach that as you go over the hils you leave your seat by a decent amount.

Maybe they are to try and stop that happening so much, especially with some of the modern coasters.

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"'cos you know, it's strange! You stand in a library and go "AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH" and everyone just kinda stares at you, but if you do the same thing on a aeroplane everyone joins in!"

And sometimes they hurt less when riding a coaster with powerful ejector airtime...
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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

Nothing wrong with a seatbelt. I can think of a few dozen rides on a couple of coasters where the seatbelt was holding me in for sure! They really seem not to bother air because of how they have hold of you, even when tight. A restraint that comes up and has a bar to each side of your legs, like on the Gerstlauer trains on the MB Hurricane, a seat belt really doesn't seem needed(but I'd still like one) because you might not slide out from under yours(?), unlike the single arm ratchet types, maybe they're there for that reason. Those, like the PTCs almost seem like it could be easy for you to slide out of, more delibrately than accidental, did I make sense?

Anyways, I learned what seatbelts are for riding the MB Swamp Fox. If you have any questions about belts being needed, ride in the last train:), you'll want one from then on. And don't jump back there alone, it's one belt for both parties.

I like it that Raging Bull doesn't have any seat belts :)

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"Duff Man Says... Ohhhhh Yaaaaa!"
Current Favorite Coasters:
1)Raging Bull 2)Millennium Force 3)Medusa (SFMW) 4)Vertical Velocity (SFGAm) 5)Dueling Dragons (Ice)

As RideMan has said before, a person at PTC told him that the seat belt is the primary restraint. A coaster like Cornball Express demonstrates this with ease, another example is JackRabbit (Kennywood) with the old NAD trains. Phantoms Revenge's seat belt also seems to be what holds you in primarily. Having seat belts on the coasters probably also lowers insurance cost on the coasters.

What is interesting to me is this: If PTC considers the seat belt the primary restraint, then why are there so many PTC trains out there without them?