Company Profile:

When the first Japanese Grand Prix was held at the Suzuka Circuit in 1963, only half of the racing cars were equipped with seat belts and it was commonplace to see ambulances racing to the scene of each crash. And at that same time, ordinary cars on the road were rarely equipped with seat belts. Then, in 1964, Takata developed Japan's first full-harness seat belt. The Subaru 360 that participated in the second Japanese Grand Prix was equipped with a complete Takata safety harness.

In 1996, Takata (Japan) developed the Multi Point Buckle (MPB), a full harness designed for the DOME CO., LTD., F1 racing car made exclusively of parts produced in Japan. This harness was designed not only to ensure the driver's safety, but also to aid driver comfort and help minimize fatigue. The MPH (Multi Point Harness) was adopted for use by FIA and Super GT, Indycar/CART, Formula Nippon, and Formula 3 formula racing cars in the following years. The combination of safety and winning edge technology has won acclaim from motor sports drivers worldwide.

In 2005, Takata (Japan) started supplying its MPB-020 harness, which incorporated the latest advances in technology, for use in F1 races, the pinnacle of motor sports. The following year, Takata introduced the MPH-range of full harnesses. These sophisticated harness systems were made possible by incorporating state-of-the-art technologies gained from F1 racing in a product available to the public. Features include a small and light buckle and significantly better ease of operation and durability.

Today, in addition to the MPH products from Takata (Japan) we offer a newly designed line of high-quality harnesses. The DRIFT and RACE harnesses are available from Takata Racing (Europe) to protect you in nearly any form of motorsport activity.

Quality and Techniques:

2" LAP BELTS

2" Lap belts have been widely accepted by most motorsports sanctioning bodies worldwide. If you look at Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar, Grand AM, ALMS, and almost any professional series you will find a large percentage of the drivers using 2" lap belts. This trend has grown as well in Club Racing for Porsche, BMW, SCCA, and even for track day enthusiasts.

To understand why 2" webbing is more effective than 3" webbing, one needs to look at the shape of the human body. The Iliac Crest is the part of the pelvic bone that sticks out above the hips. 2" webbing (pictured in black), fits entirely within that crest where 3" webbing (pictured in red). rides over the tips of the crest The 3" webbing has less surface area by percentage than the 2" webbing, this results in more potential bruising with 3" webbing on impact as "hot-spots" of force develop where the belt is making contact with the pelvic bone. Since the 2" webbing rides inside the crest it can be worn as much as 1" to 2" tighter and at the same time is more comfortable. It is also less likely to slide up above the crest and cause submarining  a condition where the body slides down below the lap belt possibly causing internal organ damage.

Research shows that the faster the pelvis is captured, the lower the resultant loads on the chest, head, and neck. There is no difference in the strength of the 2" webbing. All webbing (2" or 3") must meet the same load tests.

Additional advantages of the 2" lap belt is that the adjusters are easier to work and there are generally fewer "interference" issues with the lap belt openings in race shell seats.

ASM® Anti Sub Marining Technology

The TAKATA asm® system offers a unique safety advantage for 4-point harnesses. asm (the acronym for anti-submarining) significantly reduces the risk to submarine (sliding underneath the lap belt), a well-known phenomenon during frontal impacts. In a severe impact, an energy converter on the shoulder belt containing the asm system, releases an extra length of webbing allowing the upper torso to slightly rotate, which tensions the lap belt asymmetrically, thus preventing submarining under the lap belt. On the rebound phase with the upper torso out of alignment, your "butt" is planted firmly back into the seat similar to what you would experience with a 3-point factory belt.

A 4-point belt without asm® loads the shoulders and upper torso evenly on initial impact and allows the body to slide forward and under the lab belt protion of the harness. Severe injuries or death are possible using 4-point harnesses without the TAKATA asm safety system.

The asm® system on all TAKATA DRIFT series belts are NOT compatible with HANS®. A HANS® device may be used with the RACE 4 harness belt.

TAKATA WEBBING

All webbing is not created equal. The webbing in all TAKATA harnessbelts is specially designed and manufactured exclusively for TAKATA. Each lot manufactured must pass our stringent quality control procedures.

TAKATA uses only Polyester webbing which offers significant advantages such as minimal degradation under UV light (see figure 1) and a resistance against acids like battery acid. In addition Polyester does not absorb moisture so the performance of TAKATA harnesses does not change whatever the climate may be. Polyester also has better management of the force/elongation ratio allowing our harnessbelts to better convert energy during an accident.

Webbing Construction

TAKATA has a unique "memory effect" designed into our webbing. Special woven in mono filaments perform like small leaf springs and keep the webbing flat throughout the life of the belt. This results in better load spreading over the full width of the TAKATA webbing. In addition, this filament helps to form smooth rounded edges for added comfort.