SEMPCA Driver's Education at Waterford Hills Road Course
Registation Information
Driver's Education Days 2009:
May 14th
June 11th
August 13th
September 12th

2009 SEM/PCA Driver's Education
New Harness & Seat Rules

The South Eastern Michigan Porsche Club Driver's Education (DE) Committee would like to remind all DE participants that we will implement the PCA Harness and Seat Rules effective January 2008.

This is a summary of the most significant portion of the new rule. Remember please, this is a summary only.
If you have questions please contact:
1. Gary Ambrus - Safety Chairman @ gla924sem@juno.com
2. Michael Eblenkamp - Chief Instructor @ Michael.Eblenkamp@keiper.com
3. Jeffrey Amos - Track Chairman @ jeffamos@Comcast.net

Rule changes mandate:

1. Factory three point seatbelts are sufficient.
2. Four point systems are not allowed. You must have a five point or six point harness system.
3 . If you have harnesses, you must have a seat that comes from the manufacturer with the capability to, at the very least, accept the shoulder harness and the sub belt.
4 . You cannot modify any seat to accommodate either the shoulder harness or sub-belt.
5 . The seat back must have an integrated headrest.
6 . The seatback has to have holes to guide the shoulder harness. Standard metal guides mounted onto the roll bar in order to guide the shoulder harness around the seat (with no holes) are not approved.
7 . The seat cushion does not have to have holes in the bolsters for the lap belt.
8 . The seat back can be hinged (recliner)
9 . The harness must be either FIA or SFI approved.
10 . FIA or SFI approved 5 or 6 point harness system (within recommended usage dates per manufacturers tag(s) and similar harness both driver and passenger) in combination with seats that have integrated headrest and guide holes in seat back for shoulder belts.
11. Harnesses must be secured to either a roll bar or an approved harness truss such as the Brey Kraus.
12. You do not need to have a roll bar, but it is recommended.
13. You must have equal restraints for both driver and passenger seats.
14. Overall: If you choose to use a five point- or a six point harness you must have the right driver and passenger seat with integrated head restraints and holes in the seat back to guide the shoulder belt. Or you choose to use the stock / standard seat with the standard 3 point belt system. Once you start using a harness you have to combine the harness with the right type of seats (driver and passenger) as above mentioned, according to the new rules.

New Harness Standard FAQs

1. Does the standard require identical system for both the driver and passenger?

No..The system must be similar. For example, the drivers seat manufacturer could be Recaro
and the passenger seat an Sparco model.

2. If my seat has no routing holes for the shoulder and/or anti-submarine belts, may I cut holes
myself?

No…The holes must be installed by the manufacturer.

3. Does the Standard require routing holes for the lap belts?

No…Although routing holes are preferred, hinged seats are acceptable. Since most harness systems are not DOT approved. The OEM belts must be worn on the street, except for New Hampshire which has no seat belt law. Lap belt routing holes can raise the seat bolster so that the three point OEM belt may not function properly.

4. What is an acceptable way to attach the harness in my Porsche?

The preferred method is to use a roll cage, roll hoop or a triangulated truss system that uses the “B” pillars; such as, the Brey-Krause harness truss.

5. When does the standard go into effect?

The Standard goes into effect January 1, 2008.

6. Can I use the three point OEM belt over or under my harness system with a seat without routing holes?

It is the opinion of experts in the field that the two systems are not compatible and should not be worn together.

7. Are there standards for the type of seat and/or belt system required in the Standard?

Yes…The seat and belt system must be either FIA or SFI approved and have a date tag depicting the date of manufacture.

8. Are four point harness systems allowed?

No four point systems are allowed in Porsches because of the integrated headrest supplied by the factory.

9. Can a region enforce more rigid requirements than stated in the Standard?

Yes..These DE Standards are minimum in nature and any region can require more rigid standards in their local DE program.

SEM is modifying our Tech forms to reflect the new rules. We want to ensure all drivers are aware of the rule change and have time to complete modifications, if required, before our first event.

Thanks for consideration

The SEM DE Committee