Mark wrote.....

> The lap belt creates a natural hinge point for the body to >fold around,
coupled with the force applied to the body >in an accident, you can easily
suffer internal injuries or >even a broken pelvis.

Terrible injuries, but still this is better than being unstrapped and thrown
out through the windscreen in a head on ......
And since the major part of collisions take place in the cities at fairly
low speed the lap belt compared to no-belt
is so much better !

You should also consider the weight of the unbelted rear passenger flying
into the back of the frontseat!
Will the frontseat back take this or will it break and what will then happen
to the frontseat passenger ?
Could the front seatbelt take all that force ?
Where will the body go IF the frontseat don't break ?

I for one would rather strap backseat passengers down with a little risk of
them getting pelvis injuries in case of an accident than see them smashed
over the car I crashed into !
It�s better being hurt and alive than dead, I know since I broke my neck in
a whiplash 1974 but survived with a 25% reduced moveability in my right arm
and the capability to predict bad weather by a bit stiffer neck :)
To take this discussion a step further I had a threepoint belt - but no
headrest wich is often the case in the rearseats of Vanagons in general and
Westys in particular!

Calle
-88 Vanagon
Mullhyttan, Sweden