Are race harnesses road legal?

[silverthorn2151]

Not quite. I think you mean it's a bad idea having a cage without a helmet.

With the harness the theory goes that if the roof crushes you are stuck where you are not being able to go with the flow, so to speak.

[Colin 1985]

Got mine MOT'd today with 6 point harness - definitely legal.

[gary_tholl]

Wouldn't want a harness without a cage, or at least, roll bar. The idea being that if you do roll it, the harnesses keep you upright, where-as a 3 pt belt will let your body bend to the side to lower your head as/if the roof crushes down.

Cage without a helmet will depend entirely upon the placement/padding of the cage tubes.

[GreigM]

Colin 1985 said:

Got mine MOT'd today with 6 point harness - definitely legal.

It depends on the harness - its not by default illegal, but in my experience MOST are not strictly legal - including my own which pass an MoT every year. Strictly speaking they have a british standard mark or equivalent - most have FIA marks which aren't accepted.

More here:
http://wiki.seloc.org/a/MOT_Requirements_for_Seatb...

In my experience you will pass as the tester will not know this in detail.

[CharlieTwo]

flemke said:

Technically, there is an argument that a rotary release mechanism is not legal, only the push button-type is, notwithstanding the fact that the push button-type is much more difficult to disengage in case of emergency.

I had no issues getting through the Single Vehicle Approval scheme with a rotary release on a 4-point Willans harness in my Cobra.

[maser_spyder]

andy_s said:

DBSV8 said:

yes they are legal , however not advisable to use them in my Lotus , if driving at speed

That's still the best car I've ever seen on PH's...

+1

What a beautiful bit of kit. Very lucky chap.

[flemke]

CharlieTwo said:

flemke said:

Technically, there is an argument that a rotary release mechanism is not legal, only the push button-type is, notwithstanding the fact that the push button-type is much more difficult to disengage in case of emergency.

I had no issues getting through the Single Vehicle Approval scheme with a rotary release on a 4-point Willans harness in my Cobra.

Nor do I, but John Fenning (MD of Willans for 30 yrs) told me that, owing merely to a transcription error at the time that UK joined the EEC, only the button-type were enshrined into law.