"Chris - have you seen any solutions to the seat belt mounting hardware that you liked better than others?" I'd be particularly interested to find out if it seems better to have the latch mounted at the rear of the opening, or the front of the opening.
Steve, I didn't know you were a lawyer!
As to whether the latch should be at the front or the back, the process I used to determine where the net latch went on my car was dictated by my emergency exit strategy. In my case, my strategy is -
1. Pull the fire suppression handle/handles
2. Remove the steering wheel
3. Unlatch the harness
4. Unlatch the net, push it forward and let it fall
5. Pull Hartwell latches lanyard
6. Pull door lanyard
7. Pull the latch for lateral head restraint and swing it out of the way (it's hinged - see photo below)
8. getthehelloutofthecar
As my lateral restraint is hinged and has a built-in dead-bolt, and given the tight confines of the Midget, it was necessary for me to put the net latch in the front, as I would not have been able to reach it easily because my lateral head restraint would interfere.
I can see all of my safety equipment and latches with my helmet on, strapped into the seat, and without having to turn my head. If the cockpit were to fill with smoke, I know that everything is within easy reach and easily operated
with my gloves on. That's the criteria I used to determine the locations.
Your mileage may vary.