Theo wrote:
"The lap belt must be positioned to give good resistance to submarining
(which means that having it nearly vertical is bad - you can slide forwards
quite a ways before the belts begin to offer any restraining action), as
well as keeping you from lifting off the seat in case of a rollover (which
means that having the belts horizontal is bad). Therefore, 45 degrees is
probably the best compromise, and this figure will vary depending on where
you slide the seat on the tracks."
Although I think most of us are aware of this, for completeness I would just
like to add that an *extremely* important reason for properly positioning
the lap belt is that it must NEVER be allowed to restrain the body across
the abdomen. Only the bony area of the lap (the pelvis) can withstand the
forces applied during a crash of any magnitude. A seat belt that is
improperly positioned on the body can easily do more harm than good.
My two cents and, in this case, YMWV (your mileage won't vary).
Rick
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