Originally Posted by
N9373M
NBC news reported tonight that some of the economy pax suffered spinal fractures or cord injuries. They added that the First Class (or Biz, cant' remember) pax had a 3 point shoulder belt and walked away.
One Dr. was quoted as saying that 3 of the 4 people he treated for spinal injuries probably would not have had them with the shoulder harness.
Personally, I think 3 point shoulder should be mandatory, but it all comes down to money.
Thoughts?
A problem with the shoulder harness in the case of a forward stopping case is the forces normally transferred to and absorbed by the torso are now completely transferred to the neck and head (think Dale Earnhart's crash). The crash position limits the whipping forces on the neck at the expense of the lumbar region of the spine. From what I've heard, most of the spinal injuries were of a compression nature vice a forward snapping one. I'd still prefer the shoulder harness myself if I had an option. My .02