I am all for 4 point belts in a sports car, but do you really want all that restriction in your minivan, or SUV??

Four-point seat belts have been used in racecars for years, offering significant protection to drivers, especially in side-impact crashes. Some experts now say four-point belts would bring dramatic safety improvements to conventional cars, too.
“We knew double shoulder belts were probably better, but the racecar data say they really are better,” asserts John Melvin, an expert on impact injury.
According to Melvin, keeping occupants positioned well in a crash with four-point belts will become more important as the driving population becomes older. Four-point belts feature straps over each shoulder and each hip.
“With the elderly – and three-point belts – you get rib injuries before the body makes contact with the airbag,” he said.
In 2005, more than 9,000 people perished in side-impact crashes on U.S. roads.
The experience of racecar drivers in three NASCAR-sanctioned racing series between 2002 and 2005 reflects the value of advanced seat belts. During this period, NASCAR recorded many racetrack accidents, including 2,154 side-impact crashes on racetracks, 560 rear crashes and 211 frontal crashes. In these crashes, drivers suffered one serious head injury, one serious neck injury, some bouts of unconsciousness, and some limb injuries.
NASCAR drivers wear five-point or even six-point seat belts. And seats designed for racing hold the driver’s body securely in place much more effectively than seats in conventional cars do.

(McClatchey Newspapers)