Converting lap belt to shoulder strap

antonf

Hi guys,
I have a 99 Honda Civic and the middle restraint in the back is a lap belt. I have three children aged 3, 5 and 7. I wonder if anyone knows of any converter that would be more suitable for safely restraing my 7 year old who currently sits there.

Thanks, A.

colm_mcm

Could you post a picture of a similar car to yours, a few different types it could be

sundodger5

a 99 civic may not have a top seatbelt anchor point. If not it is not really viable to add one.
Anchor points are not just holes, they are reinforced to withstand the immense weight that is put on them in an accident.
If my memory is any good each point should withstand 2 tonnes.

gofaster_s13

The top seat belt anchor point on a three point belt should be higher than the shoulder of the person using the belt which is why on modern cars with a three point centre rear belt the top point is usually mounted on the roof, I have seen and failed on DOE tests belts that people have fitted themselves where the top point is brought over the top of the seat and down the back and fixed to the floor, the two problems with doing this are 1, the seatbelt anchorage point is not reinforced and is in danger of pulling through in an accident. 2, when the top mount is fixed to the floor, in an accident they cause spinal compression injuries where the seat belt instead of holding you into the seat tries to push you down into the seat compressing your spine(not good). A manufacturer fitted lap belt is far safer than a wrongly fitted three point belt even though the 3 point looks safer.

antonf

This is the type of honda I have


Except mine is 11 years old and not as shiny. A.

colm_mcm

It may be possible that a later model has a 3 point belt. Check newer models of tje same shape and see if they have a 3 point belt, check where the anchorage points for the belt and buckle are.
Then check your car for the threaded holes at these points. If they're there it may be just a case of swapping the parts from another civic.

boomdocker

I have just succesfully done this.

After quite a bit of searching I sourced this product in the US:

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml

I contacted this company, http://www.ewss.org/ and spoke to a very nice lady called Kathy. The harness was $90 + $35 p&p sent by regular post. Arrived after a couple of days.

This is a fantastic product for anyone who is not happy using a standard lap belt (everyone?). It is very easy to fit - luckily for me I didn't have to drill a hole for the tether as I already had a bolt - but it's very straightforward even if you do. It;s easily adjustable and actually for smaller kids its even better than a regular seatbelt as they are secured by shoulder straps

if anyone needs more info or photos pm me

cpbobo

Hi, I see your post regarding fitting a harness to the lap belt for your car. Was there much to fitting this harness. Did you car need to have any special anchors to fit the harness. I have a 04 Hyundai Santa Fe and the middle seat is a lap belt only. Want to put my 6 year old on a booster seat and was hoping that this harness would help. Any more info you have would be appreciated.

gofaster_s13

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/fami...yHarness.shtml

If you fit this kit by drilling a hole in the floor of the vehicle then its automatically an NCT fail as seatbelt mounting points are a strengthened point in the vehicle chassis also unless its E-approved(same as tyre e marks) it is illegal to fit in europe and should not pass the NCT. On the whole that does not look like a good product as a seat belt the mounting point for the over the shoulder straps is lower than the shoulders, in the event of an accident the seat belt trys to pull you down into the seat base rather than holding you into the seat back which can lead to spinal crush type injuries as the spine is compressed by the force of impact.

Dilbert75

Agreed - that looks very dodgy and, even apart from the vertical forces in an accident, the apparent use of an un-reinforced mounting hole is dynamite. If you really can't put up with a lap belt (and I can understand why) then its time to change car. Doesn't have to be more expensive, just one with 3x 3 point belts in the back.