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Invisible reflective seatbelt

The reflective seat belt, seat belt.
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My idea is to sell FORD, CHEVY, HONDA etc... this idea.

I revolutionary paint (if you will) which will be painted onto the front seat seatbelts. This will reflect light similar to a reflective belt (funny it will be a reflective belt.. not that funny) but during the day you won't be able to see it. SO basically when you are driving at night and there is a cop coming the other direction they can tell just by the refection of your seatbelt if you have a seat belt on.

This isn't to get us all pulled over just because they didn't see this belt, just like now they will have to have a different reason for pulling you over. But having this item on your car will lower your insurance because they (the insurance)will know that if you have this you will be more likely to wear a seatbelt and "seatbelts” save lives. Also parents can feel better knowing that their kids are more likely to put their seatbelts on because the kids don’t want to get pulled over and get a ticket unless , which will build parent confidence.

There are benefits all around... what do you think.

Jaysyn, Nov 22 2003

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       // if you have this you will be more likely to wear a seatbelt //   

       Please explain why.   

       And also explain how this magic invisible paint isn't magic.
benjamin, Nov 22 2003
  

       I am very much against any law that requires wearing a seatbelt, but since most countries have such laws (to keep morons from killing themselves) a "drive by" indicator to show that you wear it is a good idea.
kbecker, Nov 23 2003
  

       [kbecker] - // I am very much against any law that requires wearing a seatbelt //   

       Why?
benjamin, Nov 23 2003
  

       cats have reflective collars - use a strip of that stuff down the strap.
po, Nov 23 2003
  

       Aren't the lights of the oncoming subject car too bright to see inside the car? I know I can't see anything inside a car heading my direction at night.   

       By the time the car was close enough to see the belt, there wouln't be any light to reflect because the cop's lights wouldn't be shining inside the car.
KLRico, Nov 23 2003
  

       I can't make head nor tail of this. How can something be invisible and reflective at the same time?   

       Why is it desirable to have seat belts be invisible during the day? How will this encourage people to use them? Are you suggesting that people don't use seat belts because they don't want to be seen wearing them? That's silly.   

       // just like now they will have to have a different reason for pulling you over. //   

       That is location dependent.
waugsqueke, Nov 23 2003
  

       What waugs said.
galukalock, Nov 23 2003
  

       //unless ,// Unless what?
Eugene, Nov 23 2003
  

       I'm with [Unabubba].   

       I don't know which bit of it is fishier: the magic invisibility or the erroneous idea that people would wear a seat belt if only it couldn't be seen?
seedy em, Nov 23 2003
  

       The confuson seems to be "won't be able to see "it"" I think it's the paint that won't be seen, not the seatbelt... Most reflector things, like the belts joggers wear, aren't particularly reflevtive during the day. It's only when you see them at night reflecting a bright source like headlights that they become noticible.   

       By the way, "Insurance rates are set by machines"? Well... yes, but you really don't believe that new laws affect the rates?? Pretty dumb machines - must be costing the insurance company lots of money in bad rates.
bobtherat, Nov 23 2003
  

       [UnaBubba] - I can get you a good price on a couple of buckets of invisible paint if you're interested. It's top quality stuff - UV resistant, matt finish and absolutely no brush clean-up.
benjamin, Nov 24 2003
  

       [Jaysyn] - have you heard anything back from // FORD, CHEVY, HONDA etc // yet? Please let us know.
dobtabulous, Nov 24 2003
  

       You can buy glow in the dark paint that is clear and drys clear.
sufc, Nov 24 2003
  

       [benjamin] //Why?//   

       You are stupid you die - Darwin at his best.   

       Of course the economy suffers from these damages, but it suffers the same from overweight, smoking, drinking, lack of excercise, ...   

       Seatbelts and helmets are just the beginning, smokers are also already highly regulated, soon we will have foodstamps to make sure nobody eats too much or unhealthy food, followed by general exercise in the streets every morning. - Big Brother sees a happy future, I don't.
kbecker, Nov 25 2003
  

       [kbecker] -   

       1) // You are stupid you die //   

       Unfortunately much of the time you don't die; instead you get badly hurt and suck hospital $'s and are unable to contribute much for some while - as you say, the economy suffers.   

       2) There is a difference between {smoking/over-eating/under-exercising} and crashing cars. The former are largely personal and don't affect others (smoking probably being the exception); the latter can certainly affect others, sometimes more than it affects the bad driver.
In other words, consider: someone else is stupid (speeding and crosses the centre line) and then you die - and wearing your seatbelt may have let you live. That's not the true-to-form Darwin we know and love.
benjamin, Nov 26 2003
  

       I think what the author was shooting for was paint that would be reflective at night but not distractive. I doubt if it could be seen that well.   

       As a former Ford seat-belt engineer I don't think paint would be the way to go; belt-tensioning mechanisms are very sensitive devices; change the friction between the belt's windings and you'll affect the belt's comfort and ease-of-use. You don't really have the ability to *add* anything onto the surface of the belt. It will just foul up the works when it retracts. Modern belt materials are designed to have low-friction surfaces for just this problem.   

       What I would propose to this idea is making a few of the belt's threads in some bright, reflective material; perhaps a color additive.   

       I also am in favor of seat-belt laws for the reasons that [ben] listed, and also for the 'you are stupid --> your kids die' factor.   

       Also, DON'T pop-rivet anything to your belt. The strength of the belt is designed with a relatively narrow tolerance band in order to be strong enough to hold but also stretch a bit, and if you have frayed or cut strands it may or may not perform as designed.   

       And finally, if your belt is frayed because of wear and tear, have it replaced, even if it is just a little bit. A small fray changes the failure mode of the belt from an equalized, direct tension pull to a tearing mode and thus will not restrain nearly what it would if it were new.
RayfordSteele, Nov 26 2003
  


 

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