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Seat Belts

I'm sure this is somewhere on here, but I can't find it, so I'm just gonna make a topic for it. Why did they decide to install seat belts on the American B&M hypers? Was it a safety precaution? If so, why did they not do it on Shambhala?
 

ThomVD

Giga Poster
I think it was only done in Cedar Fair parks, as a safety precaution. So that's why Shambhala has none. If they're really needed... I doubt it, considering B&M's fantastic safety record.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
It was a move by Cedar Fair, not B&M.

The point of a safe restraint system is to have redundancies in the design, so if one design should fail the next will work. That being said, the B&M clamshell design is already a redundant system, with a flawless track record to my knowledge (anyone else know of a B&m clamshell incident?). Adding an additional seat belt certainly makes the system safer, but the purpose of adding the seat belt certainly was not the result of an incident with the B&M restraints.

Rather, the timing of the B&M hyper seatbelts follows the Texas Giant accident last year, which occurred on a Gerstlauer train that was only a lap bar restraint (no seatbelts). If I were a gambling man, I would venture a guess that Cedar Fair's addition of seat belts could have been cause by the separate Texas Giant incident. Partially precautionary, partially for the sake of Cedar Fair's lawyers, and partially a rhetorical move to show that the rides are safe.

All that being said, these seat belts are not necessarily permanent. Cedar Fair has a track record of adding and subtracting seat belts to rides - for instance, while they added seat belts to a number of Arrow loopers, they removed seatbelts from Arrow Swinging trains.

So the seatbelts are dumb, no one honestly knows why they were added, they slow down capacity, and we can hope Cedar Fair removes them in the future.
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
My observation was that the traditional B&M hyper trains (Leviathan, Nitro, Raging a Bull etc.) don't have seat belts, yet the newer trains with the 2 by 2 seating use seat belts.

I have no idea as to what's potential risky about the 2 by 2 searing though?
 

ThomVD

Giga Poster
^Shambhala is a new hyper with the new kind of train, but doesn't use seat belts as far as I know, so it hasn't got to do with the new seating on the trains.
 

caffeine_demon

Strata Poster
On the subject of b and m seat belts.

thinking about the original otsrs on b and m inverts and loopers - eg http://rcdb.com/277.htm#p=6140

suppose the highly improbable has happened, and the OTSR locking has totally failed, and the car has got stuck so that all your weight is pressing down on the restraint, Just how much weight could the seatbelt hold (for both the usual 1 belt seats and the 2 belt big boy seats)?
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
Probably the same amount as when you get into a car crash and the seat belt holds you nice and tight ;)
 

Jarrett

Most Obnoxious Member 2016
I vaguely recall reading on KICentral that last season Diamondback's clamshell popped up a click during the ride and they shut it down for a bit and opened it later, and that's why you need two clicks to ride. I'll try to find a link when I'm in front of an actual computer but if this wasn't my imagination I'd blame that.
 

CookieCoasters

Giga Poster
I don't know how relevant this is but Jarrett's post reminded my of something that happened on Alpengeist this summer. Basically, I was on the lift and then suddenly my restraint unlocks about one or two clicks. I then just pulled it down as i was going down first drop and then the forces of the ride locked the restraint again. Also, occasionally when riding Air at Alton Towers, my restraints unlocks by one click when travelling from the station to the lift hill.

This may mean that while B&M restraints don't shoot open, they are capable of unlocking by a click, which explains what Jarret said about needing two clicks to ride. I don't know where seat belts come into play here, but I can only imagine that if B&M restraints can pop up, then seat belts are possibly just something to make the rider more secure in case any incident like I described happened, but are also necessary due to the nature of the restraints.
 
^ NOBODY BELIEVED ME WHEN I SAID THIS HAPPENED TO ME! It seems to have happened to a fair few people and it's always on Alpengeist. It happened just as we were about to crest the lift. At least I don't feel totally insane now, because everyone thought I was ****.

But thanks guys, it makes sense now!
 

Chris Coasters

Strata Poster
This year on Nitro my friend Alex's restraint popped up by a click and it happened to me on Alpengeist. Personally I like the seatbelt idea on B&M hyper coasters. Every ride on Nitro I wished I had another resort of protection because I can only get it down a couple clicks.
 

Element115

Roller Poster
Same thing happened to me this year on Goliath at sfmm, lap bar popped open a click at the bottom of the lift, i just pushed it down and it re-locked. I noticed they added seatbelts since the last time i rode it, maybe that was a reason.
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Are you sure the bars are popping open, or are they rather not locked down as far as you think and unsticking? Like, its stuck between clicks, and popping up to the next click.

Because, rides I've worked with do that with particularly slim people sometimes - I know Taylor is pretty small. Not saying I don't believe either of you, but this seems more likely? Some guests pull bars so tight to them, but they're millimetres away from the next click. Or staff push them down too far. Then they "come up" and shock people.

This is why staff should check every bar by pulling back and why seatbelts are important, even on rides where its impossible for one to be locked and not all of them, or impossible for the ride to be dispatched without the bars down. Its about guest perceived safety and about staff physically making sure guests are sitting correctly. You would not believe how some people will sit in their seat - on the bar, etc.
 

caffeine_demon

Strata Poster
Zhinse6 said:
the Seat Belt Buckle Guard can be modified [opening made larger] by carefully paring away some of the plastic on the two outer bars.

Great Idea - I'll make sure I bring my seat belt buckle paring tool whenever I'm at a theme park in future!

Ride op: "What are you doing sir?"
Me: "Oh - just making the buckle guard opening larger!"
.......
 
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