There are no easy answers to this and as there are no two cars alike in SCTA this makes it difficult to have everything placed in the same spot on all cars
In truth I have been coming up with ideas that help my pop (who also drives and is 65) easier for him to get out of the car. By proxy making it easier for him to get out will also make it easier for me to get out.
I have a "X" configuration over the roof, this means escape hatch wont work. I have considered a forward hinged windshield for an emergency escape (RH door is possible but hard).
Last year (our cherry year) I had to have my pop go through a suited routine and count out all the steps to get out. He was way over time and in test would panic and forgetting how to get out.
It is not just that there are multiple steps....but most of them have to be in a certain order.
They went:
1. Seat belt release
2. Pull lateral head pin cable
3. Pull lateral bar
4. Release window net
5. Remove steering wheel
6. Open door
Because of the number of steps and the order they have to be done in I could see that a 1 button system to get rid of 4 steps would outweigh the possibility of a failure of one of the solenoids.
I agree that keeping things simple is paramount, but getting out now if FAR from simple.
Being upside down and unconsious in a carburated car with an electric fuel pump running seems to be less that a good idea. I have heard of "tip switches", but do they work to block the fuel line or cut off the electrical side to the pump?
Always looking at making things safer. Again, that 1% possibility.
Sorry for getting off track JHN but I had to ask the question while I was thinking of it.
Most late model motorcycles have tip switches and I am fairly certain that on the busa motor it will kill the FP (not sure). I however bypassed my tip switch because the vibration of the motor would cause it to kill the motor at high RPM (very common to MC to car conversions). There are even how-2's that tell you how to disassemble the TIP and fill it with putty.
The fact is that a good tip switch could easily be made to work in automotive applications that would shut off the FP and motor (a very good idea). The Rice car crash shows a classic example how a working tip switch would be a good idea. In this video (even though it looks like it ended up upright) the tip switch would of killed the motor as soon as the car went over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siXBXDe2ohUGlen:
I am going to consult a higher power regarding legality and viability.