Ride Seatbelts

[Sheza]

I'll probably sound pretty stupid, and I think I already have an answer anyway but just wanted to check.The seat belts on rides like Nemesis Inferno and Colossus, what are they for? My guess is extra safety for if the top-restraint fails, but I'm pretty skinny and, looking in the station at a seat with its belt still attached, doesn't look very safe for me xD

[TPGG]

Restrainsts never fail, like ever. I think that the restraints can only come up when the trains are in the station or it can be done manually where someone would unscrew some of the metalwork off the train and press a button inside the train. SAW doesn't have seatbelts but the other 3 do, I personally prefer a seatbelt though. I went on a Six Flags Rapids which had seatbelts, it was insane haha.

[Benin]

Restrainsts never fail, like ever.

This is... arguable... As if this was the case, then NO rides would have seat-belts...This is why seat-belts are known as fail-safes... The chances of a restraints rising mid-ride are EXCEPTIONALLY rare (cannot stress this enough), however, in order to ensure top guest safety and security many rides do have these seat-belts... It's amazing how much difference these actually make to guest's perceptions of safety as well... They DO make a big difference...Whilst they probably don't need them, it's really affects guest experience... Saw doesn't have them probably to be part of the whole 'scare' experience...

[Laelda_95]

I don't think the belts on Colossus or Nemesis make me feel particularly safe, due to the fact that they rattle about like mad through the whole ride. That's probably me just being paranoid about falling out, but I always check them loads before I leave the station

[Ricky]

I would expect ALL rides need electricity to release the restraints, I know you do on Stealth, so something would SERIOUSLY need to go wrong in order for the restraints to fail. I'd expect the seatbelts are more for insurance purposes to ensure top safety priority, whether or not that is correct I shall not know but that's my opinion.

[JoshC.]

I remember there was an article a couple of years back where a woman went to the press because her seatbelt wasn't locked on Colossus. The park's response was something along the lines that it was a tertiary restraint and was there as an extra.I'll try and find. Probably lurking about it some thread somewhere on here too...

[Fred]

It's there to calm guests down - simple as.As in the case of B&M coasters - which use ratchet systems for most restraints - there's no physical way of releasing the restraint mid ride. Every single ratchet would have to be completely worn down for it to fully open - by which time, reports of the restraint opening slightly would've been addressed due to guests continually telling the staff/the staff noticing whilst checking restraints.I'm sure most people have experienced an inbetween ratchet ride - where the restraint moves a few cm. The seatbelt just reassures the guest that if the restraint opens further (which, 100%, it wouldn't) they won't fly to their death.

[SilPho]

I think there are a few other points which they can be used for:

• In the case of restraints which automatically pop open fully (such as Inferno), they can be used to hold the restraints in a locked position for repeated testing without having to re-close every restraint.
• They act as a visual guide to a guest with large chest dimensions, if you can't close the seatbelt it gives more proof that they are too big to fit into the seat.

This tends to be what I say to my friends when they inquire about them. I think these are valid points but feel free to point out if they're not.

[Fred]

Does it not?On nemesis, thats very much the case. Completely agree with SilPho about his points - that's the two most useful points of them.

[Luke_A]

I agree with the comments from Ian above, of how the seatbelt is used as a 'comfort' feature as well as it's possible other reasons for being installed.One thing I have noticed though is that not all coasters that would usually have seatbelts sometimes do not have them, take Kumba at BGT for example. (I think it may have them now?)

[th13teen]

Health and safety, plus so you can stand there and laugh/facepalm every time the GP cant undo a seatbelt, honestly I find it amazing that they cant work out how to undo a simple seat belt! I must say I would not feel comfortable going on an inverted rollercoaster without a seat belt, because I have got so used to putting one on!

[Tom]

that's why you pinch both.

[TPDave]

I would expect ALL rides need electricity to release the restraints, I know you do on Stealth, so something would SERIOUSLY need to go wrong in order for the restraints to fail. I'd expect the seatbelts are more for insurance purposes to ensure top safety priority, whether or not that is correct I shall not know but that's my opinion.

How the restraints open depends on the system, some are electric and others are mechanical.It's worth noting that restrains do fail. I know Tranan had it's restrains fail mid-ride with riders on board in 2009, you can never be too safe.But yeah, I think it's already been pointed out that they're there to make people feel safe and be a third point of contact :)Dave

[alexander]

When I first this I immediately thought, for people's reassurance of safety. I know that roller coasters are one of the most safest forms of transport, but I agree that it feels weird not putting one on at other parks. It also makes you slightly paranoid of other parks without them you're like HUH NO SEATBELT!??

[Luke_A]

To be honest I would much prefer all rides to have no seatbelts, the amount of times the belts have to be 're-checked' at some parks sometimes is just stupid. I mean lap bars don't have them so why should OTSR's? And yes, on B&M's the bars are mechanically released, they don't use electricity, instead if you look when you are in the station of Nemesis or Inferno next a metal bar that runs all along the top of the station is pushed down using compressed air onto some little sort of 'clips' on top of the train which then release the restraints. On Stealth, saw, Colossus and other Intamin/Gerstlauer/Mack/and some other ride manufacturers they use an electric current to release the restraints with some using redundant hydraulics to lock etc. So yeah, imo the seatbelts just cause lots of faffing around in stations...

[Tom]

... I mean lap bars don't have them so why should OTSR's? ...

However some rides have seat belts as well. For example Cobra at Paultons Park! << I would've thought you knew this.

[Benin]

Hydraulics are redundant? Erm... No...And no, when re-checks occur, they are not focusing on the belts... What a silly notion that is... Re-checks are for when the restraints themselves may not be down enough to be 'locked' according to the ride system, the seat-belts are just an extra feature...And some lap bars DO feature seat-belts... Many of the Intamin hypers, gigas and early Acceleratos ALL feature seat-belts are part of added safety features due to accidents occurring on them... So often they are a necessity and not a stupid thing...It's generally a massive case of "What If?"... I would rather parks be safety minded... Seat-belts do indeed affect dispatch times, but really, for the sake of guest safety (as a whole), they are quite frankly warranted...

[Fred]

Especially if your name is the Ultimate. Those restraints don't look real. The seatbelt MUST keep it down, surely..Seatbelt reassurance on that ride is a lifesaver

[Luke_A]

For example Cobra at Paultons Park! << I would've thought you knew this.

Caught me out there Yes, that is an exception I suppose, but most rides like MS spinners&Wild Mouses don't have them, some Intamin's like TTD or Xcelerator that have lap bars have seatbelts too.

[Dodge2002]

How can something be a failsafe, when you can't know for sure some idiot hasn't taken the seatbelt out half way through the ride? There's nothing there to stop you. I haven't really checked, but there's a possibility that if you were between ratchets, and it slipped back into the 2 safety notches, the seatbelt stops the restraint going too far out from the body, which would probably be uncomfortable. This would also explain why its usually only ratchet coasters that click(I.e Colossus and Inferno) have them, and rides like Saw don't. Of course this is all just speculation. Someone email John Wardley! He loves to answer these types of questions.

[Benin]

This would also explain why its usually only ratchet coasters that click(I.e Colossus and Inferno) have them, and rides like Saw don't.

Colossus isn't ratchet... Same thing for the other Eurofighters, Stealth and Vampire, which also use the hydraulic method...And quite frankly if anyone is stupid enough to even think of undoing the seatbelt mid-ride should anything in the unlikely happen, they deserve to perish...

[Jord]

I did the empty seat's seatbelt up next to me on Vampire, just incase anything unfortunate happened during the ride and my imaginary friend perished

[Fred]

Coss seatbelts aren't a failsafe, if they were - they'd be unable to unlock whilst rides in motion!The chances of the restraint being between ratchets, then slipping to the 2nd ratchet and staying there for duration is extremely slim. The downforce on the rides push the restraints intowards you, so you're far more likely to finish a ride with it one more click down than the other way.

I did the empty seat's seatbelt up next to me on Vampire, just incase anything unfortunate happened during the ride and my imaginary friend perished

That's irritating.

[Jord]

That's irritating.

Safety for my imaginary friend should be the park's top priority

[Fred]

Hope you took the seatbelt out after to let your friend out - as most people who decide to do this forget that

[Jord]

Hope you took the seatbelt out after to let your friend out - as most people who decide to do this forget that

I did, in the dark breakrun, I had nothing else to do whilst waiting to get into the station...