Seat Belts

[IndyCarModels]

Does anyone know when seat belts became mandatory. I'm working on the 56 winner and I don't  believe they used seat belts?

[SteveK51]

Funny enough, seat belts came up in Donald Davidson's class earlier. Best guess seems to be 1962.

[IndyCarModels]

Apr 19, 2016 20:28:05 GMT -5 SteveK51 said:

Funny enough, seat belts came up in Donald Davidson's class earlier. Best guess seems to be 1962.

I seem to remember they came before then but who am I to argue with Donald Davidson. Roll bars became mandatory about that time.

[alterrenner]

As I recall, roll over bars became mandatory in 1959?
"The Oily Grail" had a section about seat belts, but finding my copy to look will be a weekend to-do thing.
--Frank

[jamesharvey]

I could not find a picture of the 1956 winner with seat belts so I built mine without. I would suggest trying to find pictures as the best source. The IMS Museum might be a good source. I did find a picture of Jimmy Bryan in his 1956 ride, the Dean Van Lines Special clearly showing two shoulder belts. The 1957 and 1958 Belond winner had seat belts and a roll bar was added in 1958. Good luck.
Jim

[SteveK51]

The topic of relief drivers came up last night, and that in 1962 Elmer George was relieved by Paul Russo. Paul barely squeezed into the car and couldn't do the belts. He did 8 or so laps and was black flagged for not having his seat belt on, at which point Foyt took over.

The response from Donald was that this must have been the first year seat belts were mandatory.

[jamesharvey]

Your question intrigued me so I kept looking. Joe Scalzo's book, "Indianapolis Roadsters 1952-1964 has a photo of the 1956 winner on p. 118 that shows shoulder seat belts. They appear to be black or very dark.
The entire 1959 starting field official photos show roll bars on each car. I imagine this was in response to the massive lap 1 crash in 1958. Many believed at the time that Pat O'Connor might have been saved it his car had a roll bar.
Jim

[IndyCarModels]

Apr 20, 2016 12:11:34 GMT -5 jamesharvey said:

Your question intrigued me so I kept looking. Joe Scalzo's book, "Indianapolis Roadsters 1952-1964 has a photo of the 1956 winner on p. 118 that shows shoulder seat belts. They appear to be black or very dark.
The entire 1959 starting field official photos show roll bars on each car. I imagine this was in response to the massive lap 1 crash in 1958. Many believed at the time that Pat O'Connor might have been saved it his car had a roll bar.
Jim

I think you are correct about the roll bars. Pat O'Connor was extremely popular in that period.

[Deleted]

It's difficult to document the seatbelt thing photographically. During, and before that time, many drivers wore a harness like collection of belts even out of the car. They simply "clipped in" when it was time to go. I even remember them being used into the mid seventies by some drivers when I was racing. I'm 'approaching old' so better info may be out there. Anybody?

[INDY22IAM]

I know for a fact that cars had seat belts before 1962 but they were not mandatory for a while because the drivers did not like to use them in case of a fire they could hop out easily. They did not want to be stuck strapped into a fire inferno. I believe seat belts as a rule to use them became mandatory in 62.

[Patrick]

I know Sir Jack's 1960 Cooper had them. Jack was impressed with them and had them installed. Some CanAm cars had them in 1966, but not all.

Patrick

[mrindy77]

Vuky was wearing belt/shoulder harness in 1955 when he was killed. I posted a pic in a previous post.

[spyder]

SCCA was the first racing organization to require lap belts in race cars.  The year?  1954.  So I suspect all Can-Am cars had them installed, but would bet not all drivers, especially the Europeans wore them, if they could get away without them. Not sure when they required shoulder harnesses, but I had to have 11/2" wide ones in my Bugeye Sprite HP car in 1972. SCCA had also required crotch belts by '72.  spyder

[pje]

I would like to throw something else into the conversation. Anti-submarine straps. I know they were installed on the 1968 Lotus 56 turbines, but was that the first year?

Paul Erlendson