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On the surface, a driver harness seems so simple: Some webbing is strapped across the driver’s hips and chest and secured to the car. Once you start considering the forces at work, though, it gets complicated. HMSMotorsport, the U.S. distributor for Schroth harnesses, publishes a harness safety checklist and allowed us to share it with our readers. If every item on these lists is true of your harness, congratulations. Otherwise, you may not be as safe as you thought.

Shoulder Belts

Shoulder belts are correctly wrapped to the harness bar or cage. 

Only one bar of the three-bar adjuster is showing, and it is adjacent to the harness bar.

Three-bar adjuster is wrapped and positioned directly against the harness bar/cage or mounting hardware.

Shoulder belt three-bar adjusters are not obstructing the belt flow through the shoulder belt opening and are positioned behind the seat back–as close as possible to the bar.

The belt is not twisted or constricted through the shoulder belt opening in the seat. Shoulder openings allow direct passage from the top of the HANS or shoulders–directly to the attachment points.

Shoulder belts are securely fixed in position so that they cannot slide horizontally on the harness bar or roll cage. 

Shoulder belts run down from HANS or shoulder to the harness bar at an angle from zero degrees to a max of negative 30 degrees. In no case should the shoulder belt run at an upward angle from the shoulder or HANS to the attachment points.

Shoulder belts are secured with the proper spacing between the anchor points and cross over each other as needed.

Lap Belts

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The angle of the lap belt is between 60 degrees (touring cars) and 80 degrees (formula cars) measured from the horizontal, allowing the lap belt to ride properly over the pelvis. An angle less than 50 degrees may allow submarining and cause…

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