So folks, I'm real sure there's hundreds of ways to get hurt in one of our machines.

Today, I was talking to a neighbor, he's a PA in our local emergency room. I was asking him about a set of first aid kits for the machines, getting his opinion on what I should have on hand. Bought this X2:
http://www.lapolicegear.com/efa-fa142-trauma-kit.html?Color=OD%20Green&gclid=CLuit-_zz8wCFRSPfgod-NMMMg
Kept it in red, (even though I LOVE camo). Kept it in red because if there's an emergency I want anyone around to immediately grasp that the RED one is first aid....

In the course of the conversation, he told me that the biggest thing he sees on SXS flips are that people lose limbs & get them wiped out because when they roll, it's a natural tendency to try to grab ahold of something, like the roll bar, and have the machine roll onto it with your hand or arm under it. He said the big thing is to tell anybody riding with you that if you do roll, cross your arms or at least keep them as close to your body as you can.
I thought this was interesting info, it made sense to me; thought I'd share it. 
Chris

I personally know a guy who rolled a SxS in a racing event and his hand got crushed between the roll cage and the ground.  He had to have MANY surgery's and was very close to loosing his hand all together.  You should train your self to grip the steering wheel HARD (if your the driver LOL) in a wreck and the passenger should grip the grab bar HARD.  Its no joke having a 1500lb machine land on a limb.  It will cut it off without slowing down.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

I personally know a guy who rolled a SxS in a racing event and his hand got crushed between the roll cage and the ground.  He had to have MANY surgery's and was very close to loosing his hand all together.  You should train your self to grip the steering wheel HARD (if your the driver LOL) in a wreck and the passenger should grip the grab bar HARD.  Its no joke having a 1500lb machine land on a limb.  It will cut it off without slowing down.

This is good advise and what I tell anyone riding with me...as well as always wear some kind of helmet as the head can whip into the seat or something else. It is also important to hold the body secure during a roll-over event and the shoulder strap doesn't always do that..in fact during a multi-roll the body can be thrown out of that restraint completely.. so it is also wise to invest in a set of harnesses.. even a cheaper set of harnesses is better then the single shoulder strap.

Yeah, harnesses are SOOO much better at holding you in.  I had someone ask me "Do you plan on riding hard enough to need that harness?".  My response was "You never know when your going to need it and installing it while rolling this thing down a hill is pretty difficult"

Being a fireman, most of the bad scenes in have had to deal with have been people being ejected from the vehicle or not being completely inside. If you get between that much steel and where it wants to go, you will lose. With motorcycles, no helmet, I have yet to see a good outcome. Regular lap belts on a sxs are a joke, you need to stay right in your seat with a harness and a helmet. If you are far out there, help is far away. I could list how long it takes to get to you and how long a helicopter takes to get out there and land if even possible but the take away is this. The odds are not in your favor in a serious crash, so minimize risk up front.

So now you guys got me getting ready to spend money on harnesses....too....and I know they're worth it.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Machines and parts can be replaced...Your life, family and friends..can't. This is a dangerous sport. Be as ready for a situation as you can...cause you will never know when it will happen. My friend's father who rode bikes all his life always said "Dress for the crash, not the ride- because it isn't a matter of if, it's when and how bad".

Good advice, NMK, I have harnesses in my old Bonanza, I should have them in the SXS's too.