4 Point Harness thoughts

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The factory belts are "backwards" to rotate your body toward the center of the vehicle, lessening the chance that your head or arm will end up outside the frame rails and slowing forward momentum, directing force on the body other than 180* from impact.

Lots of information and debate on the subject ...

However the well documented facts show you are more likely to die from a neck fracture or spine injury using a harness on the street without other forms of accompanying head and neck restraint in an otherwise survivable accident using the stock belts. These same facts show why wearing a helmet while using a seat belt puts you in greater risk of injury but that's another discussion.

I'm out ........

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Quote from Orangeman

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The factory belts are "backwards" to rotate your body toward the center of the vehicle, lessening the chance that your head or arm will end up outside the frame rails and slowing forward momentum, directing force on the body other than 180* from impact.

Lots of information and debate on the subject ...

However the well documented facts show you are more likely to die from a neck fracture or spine injury using a harness on the street without other forms of accompanying head and neck restraint in an otherwise survivable accident using the stock belts. These same facts show why wearing a helmet while using a seat belt puts you in greater risk of injury but that's another discussion.

I'm out ........

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I thought that they the seatbelts backwards because the center of the vehicle is where the structural strength was. Nice to know it will rotate you inwards as well.

I do not believe you can properly fit a racing harness on a Polaris OEM seat. I also have not seen any harnesses to date installed on a SlingShot that are DOT approved and I have seen many. Not sure what makes others decisions on racing harnesses but assuming they make you safer can be a big mistake when it comes to personal injuries. Do your own research before buying or even taking others advice. There is a lot of information available on the web. If you really want a harness that is safe and DOT approved be prepared to pay $300-$400 per harness after you spent money for a seat suitable for the harness. With that said if your intent is just not to slide around in the seat when on the track or to look cool, then that can be accomplished with very little out of pocket expense.

I totally agree with Orangeman's comments. And not to sound morbid, but in the event you're in a serious accident that does cause injuries, I'd rather have the deep pockets of a manufacturer that a good attorney could go after than to take it upon yourself to install aftermarket only belts and have the burden upon yourself

Quote from mniron

I do not believe you can properly fit a racing harness on a Polaris OEM seat. I also have not seen any harnesses to date installed on a SlingShot that are DOT approved and I have seen many. Not sure what makes others decisions on racing harnesses but assuming they make you safer can be a big mistake when it comes to personal injuries. Do your own research before buying or even taking others advice. There is a lot of information available on the web. If you really want a harness that is safe and DOT approved be prepared to pay $300-$400 per harness after you spent money for a seat suitable for the harness. With that said if your intent is just not to slide around in the seat when on the track or to look cool, then that can be accomplished with very little out of pocket expense.

I agree you should not use a harness with stock seats - They are made for seats like the PRP with a pass thru. As far as mounting I think the only secure mount is directly to the roll hoop mounting bolts. I do have DOT approved 4 point harnesses from Schroth Racing and yes they were over $300 a set. Personally the best investment I have made to date and even my wife feels more comfortable with them. Haven't used the stock belts since they were installed. @mniron does delivers some excellent advise as always

I understand what Orangman has posted about the research on head restraints.
Two opinions I would like to add.
- When riding with a harness I usually never wear a helmet. The added weight of the helmet on your head would multiply the force placed on your neck in a collision. I would like to see the same test without a helmet.
- Two different accidents in the sling that are well documented showed the safety of the stock belts. About 6 months after the sling was introduced a passenger was killed by internal injuries sustained from the seat belt installed in the slingshot that has never been crash tested (remember it was sold as a motorcycle and never tested). The second is a video most have seen of when the driver turned off the stability control and rolled the slingshot. In the video you can clearly see his should and head make contact with the ground.
- One other accident that happened a while back to a forum member was a side collision which caused him to come into contact with the other vehicle. The center belt did not provide the protection to keep the body away from the impact.
It really is up to you. This vehicle has never been crash tested. I fear more from the possibility of impacting a solid object in a crash than the straight on that would impose force on my neck. So there fore I have chosen to be secured to the slingshot with a harness.

I run my harness to keep me from having to hold the steering wheel to hold me in the seat in hard turns. I have a feeling that any harness is going to be better than the seat belt that I would NEVER wear. I absolutely despised the factory belt.

I always figured Polaris reversed the belt mounts to maximize the thrill of feeling like you might get thrown out of the vehicle.

I saw your harnesses @MACAWS and it did not register with me they were Schroth Racing Profi ASM! I need to retract my previous statement that I had not seen them installed in a SlingShot. Thanks Mitch for bringing me back to earth. I am actually looking at the same harnesses(Red of course). After our accident just over a year ago, we have spent a lot of time reviewing what happen and researching seatbelts and harnesses. Two things we discuss over and over is what would be different if we had a harnesses. One is the barb wire cut just below her eye and what would had happened and the other was the broken rib. We cannot determine if the facial injury would had been any different but the broken rib would had been less likely. The fact is the stock seat belts did their job and kept us inside the SlingShot even though we flopped around like rag dolls. The one thing I have determined is that most harnesses are not safer than the stock seat belts but if one is going to want a harness that is safe and approved for street use with the proper seats then you only have a couple of choices. Schroth Racing Profi II ASM seem to be at the top of the list.

Quote from mniron

I saw your harnesses @MACAWS and it did not register with me they were Schroth Racing Profi ASM! I need to retract my previous statement that I had not seen them installed in a SlingShot. Thanks Mitch for bringing me back to earth. I am actually looking at the same harnesses(Red of course). After our accident just over a year ago, we have spent a lot of time reviewing what happen and researching seatbelts and harnesses. Two things we discuss over and over is what would be different if we had a harnesses. One is the barb wire cut just below her eye and what would had happened and the other was the broken rib. We cannot determine if the facial injury would had been any different but the broken rib would had been less likely. The fact is the stock seat belts did their job and kept us inside the SlingShot even though we flopped around like rag dolls. The one thing I have determined is that most harnesses are not safer than the stock seat belts but if one is going to want a harness that is safe and approved for street use with the proper seats then you only have a couple of choices. Schroth Racing Profi II ASM seem to be at the top of the list.

One bit of advice with that harness is get the pads. The 3" shoulder belt will irritate your neck without them - they aint cheap $80 a set but they are for racing and meet all the necessary requirements. At least I can be confident my hood pins will do their job!

Quote from Bigdog

I keep thinking about race car drivers that roll their cars twenty times, bounce off the walls, go airborne and walk away....that said I know it's apples to oranges and adding a harness will also mean upgrading the seats, they go hand in hand.

Don't forget in a race car the roll cage is a capsule for the driver - the harness just keeps him or her in that protective cocoon. Plus race cars are designed to shed parts to release energy. We have none of that

Quote from MACAWS

Don't forget in a race car the roll cage is a capsule for the driver - the harness just keeps him or her in that protective cocoon. Plus race cars are designed to shed parts to release energy. We have none of that

Plus HANS device and arm restraints

I also use my harnesses so I dont have to hold on to the steering wheel to stay in the seat.
I find standard 3 pt harnesses uncomfortable, so most of the time I just dont wear them.
I find harnesses more comfortable and in all the dirt track, and derby accidents I have been in, I would have never trusted just a standard seatbelt.
I will stick with my harness.

We have installed a PRP 5 point harness and we think they are much more comfortable than stock, stock kept riding up the neck area. As with Rab, I also find way more stable and "stuck" to the seat. With stocks seats and belts it was a slippery ride.
I understand the physics and dynamics, but we feel much safer and comfortable with our current set up.And yes the padded shoulders straps are a must.

@Dave@DDMWorks

^ ^ ^ Y'all are going to want to hear what Dave has to say about the harnesses and PRP seats. Needless to say, I didn't install them with our new seats (being out $350 for the harnesses is a small price to pay for safety ~> lesson learned). Without getting too technical, the hoop height on the PRP seats are WAY TOO HIGH and you WILL get hurt wearing them as the travel distance is too great (hence, spine compression will most likely result... even in a low speed collision).

*Trust me, I'm not happy about this news as I was so wanting harness with our new seats... but the math is there to support Dave's argument.

Quote from Bigdog

That's my point ...but it's the harness that kept them in place during all the violence....we don't have all that protection or even close...
I would hate be in a wreck and find out we were hurt worse because of a harness that was supposed to keep us safer...

In an open cockpit with no protection I think I would prefer to be kept in my sea with my head below the roll hoop. I think anything over a stock belt has to help.