Restraints?

[InsaneNewman]

With all the new installations of seatbelts on all the rides around the park, it seems surprising to me that the two most popular (and might I add, largest) rides in the park remain without any kind of back up restraint: Raging Bull and Superman. Thus, my question is this: why does GAm feel that no backup in necessary on these? I mean, on S:UF, if your harness opened while en route, you'd be dead. And if your lapbar popped open on RB, you'd get some mondo airtime before hitting the ground. So, are B&M restaints just better, or what?

[Aero737]

Superman has a backup restraining system. There is a metal rod that pops out of the arm of the ride when your lifted into flying posisition. If the restraints were to pop open, the restraint would catch onto that rod and not drop the rider.

[monopotassium]

1. B&M has not deemed current restraint systems for their flying and speed coasters to be inadequate. Since no manufacturer recommendations have come down about them, Six Flags has no increased liability should the unfortunate occur. (Rumor says Viper and American Eagle got theirs because of PTC warnings.)

2. B&M flying and speed coasters currently have means of clearly indicating whether a person can ride. Neither model will run if all the restraints are not at least in a position to accomodate the largest possible rider. Most other coasters run as long as the unlocking mechanism is not engaged. (Seatbelts exist on Batman, Iron Wolf, and V2 to check for fatties.)

3. Six Flags feels the current restraints are adequate. (Unlike the Giant Inverted Boomerangs, which became equipped with the orange seatbelts thanks to the distance between ratchets for the harness.)

4. A tangible restraint already exists. (Whizzer has not always had seatbelts.)

[RagingBullFan]

And not to mention that B&M's restraint system is much more reliable than both AE's and Viper's, they are wooden coasters that use a different locking system ( ratcheting ) While S:UF uses a bolt action with redundant backups and numerous sensors in each train to make sure its locked down good. Same goes with Raging Bull, there are sensors on the train that let the operators know when the train is secure, thus why they say "Train Secure". Even the seatbelts on IW were added, I believe. With IW its 3 o'clock ( open ) . 2-o'clock (harness lock) , 1-o'clock ( vertical lock ) or something similar to that. The computer on IW knows when its safe to dispatch, whereas AE and Viper you can dispatch with open restraints, try to do that on any B&M, and its not gonna happen. This is why nobody has been killed by a B&M malfunction.

EDIT: Viper and AE got theirs due to the publicity of the Holiday World accident.

[Papas]

1. B&M has not deemed current restraint systems for their flying and speed coasters to be inadequate.

So was that SF or B&M that designed those seatbelts on Nitro?

[SFGAmfan]

And was it Six Flags that later took out the seatbelts on Nitro? Point is, Six Flags and B&M realize that the B&M restraints are adequete. It's bad PR to have people dying from faulty restraints, so if B&M felt they needed to add more safety systems, they would have.

[Drkstarboard]

Then you have Deja Vu and V2.

Deja Vu- You first fasten your seatbelt. Then you lower your restraint . Then there is another seatbelt on the restraint.

V2- You lower your restraint and then fasten your seatbelt on your side

[Aero737]

But thoes are Intamin and Vekoma restraints. I'm sure they are a bit different than B&M restraints. I'm also pretty sure that there are computer systems monitering thoes restraints as all your weight is put on them both at one time or another.

[rct2wizard360]

Most B&M coasters use hydraulics to keep the restraints in place. They all do have back ups besides hydraulics (extra locks assisting the hydraulics, and Im not referring to belts) Plus I am very sure that the restraint systems on RB or SUF are more advanced than thoise of IW or BTR.

[Iggy ACE]

Even if S:UF came open you would fly by your feet.

[Timmy179]

? I mean, on S:UF, if your harness opened while en route, you'd be dead. ?

Would you rather hang from your seatbelt until your spinal cord snapped, crushing all your internal organs or would you want to die fast?

[w00dland]

Even if S:UF came open you would fly by your feet.

I can see it now:

::Starts dreaming::

Oh man, this is amazing! The entire ride is so much better by your feet, wow the inline twist was fan--- BANG!!!

-My head slammed into the floor during break run

[FParker185]

on IW and Batman the Computer has no way of sensing the position of the restraints and they could be sent out open (which is why there are ride ops for that kind of thing).

Superman does have a backup, there are bolts that pop out of the lapbar portion of the OTSR and fit into numerous holes on the seat and besies that there are 2 bolts on the seat (one on each side) that pop out slightly over the OTSR.

On Bull there is a system that detects if the lapbar is down 3 clicks or not, if it's not down at least to the 3'rd notch, the train cant be dispatched, however besides the ratchet there is no real backup, I think B&M just trusts their system and it is redundant (there is more than one ratchet mechanism), for a while on Nitro and still on Silver Star there are these odd cords that come out of the arm rest that can attach to the Lapbar, though they ere removed from Nitro and the specifically tell you not to ride with them attached on Silver Star (they are/were solely a measuring device)

[RagingBullFan]

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/stories_view.php/283

A Little update on the matter...

Intamin may be forced to redo the restraints if MA decides they are unfit for use.

[TwistedSTEEL666]

Do you think our Intamin rides at GA are flawed?

[Papas]

As far as restraints theres no reason for anyone to be flying out of any rides at SFGAm (which is why they added the seatbelts so when some moron does they have the seatbelts right there unbuckled ).