HANS mandatory from July 2014

[manga_blue]

For a limited time CAMS licence holders can receive a discount on Stand 21 Club Series devices. The Club Series device is priced at $550 and licence holders will receive an additional $25 rebate off their next licence CAMS renewal.

[Xauterus]

I can appreciate the safety benefits of the helmet retention devices. But I wonder if they should be considered as part of a full set of safety devices. I mean that yes the HANS device stops the head moving forward in a front impact, but when you look at the cars that first mandated the device, they also had other safety items. The formula cars have high side on the cockpit to prevent the helmet going sideways. In Nascar they have full wings on the seat that prevent sideways movement of the helmet.

I question the attitude around at the moment that the device is a the cure all for protection of the neck. Shouldnt it be mandated with a winged seat for production type cars? In rallying the most common type of impact is hitting something sideways. It seems a bit haphazard mandating one item without considering the other items that existed before these restraints.

[Magpie]

HANS has never been sold as a cure all for protection of the neck; it is a mitigation/risk management item. The cure all protection is to not do the activity in the first place.

People are responsible for their own safety; organisations make some things mandatory normally to reduce THEIR legal/dollar risk/exposure. If it is optional then it is up to the individual.

Yes higher level motorsports have a whole suite of systems that increase safety plus they have the budget for them. Winged seats in a daily drive would get you in trouble with the law. Winged seats in an occasional use track car well if you have the budget then yes, but winged seat in preference to HANS I would say no. This is like fire drench systems as opposed to a hand held fire extinguisher. Each does the same job, one is better at it whilst the other is cheaper, however none is not acceptable.

The other argument is that lower skilled drivers should have more safety requirements mandated on them as it is their lack of skill (and the others around them) that cause the most risk.

[manga_blue]

Saw my doctor today. He recommended one of these hybrids as an improvement over the traditional HANS devices because they give much better lateral support (for side impacts) and they're more comfortable and easier to live with. He called it the next generation of head and neck safety.



http://simpsonraceproducts.com/simpson/hybrid-sport/

It's handy to have a doctor who races.

Anyone used them yet?

[little decks]

I've seen similar things to these a while ago but slightly different for kart racers, they have all the abdominal strap gear obviously as they don't have belts but curious to know why these have all of that if you're in a car with a 5 or 6 point harness.

[deviant]

Historic and vintage racers don't always have proper belts in a car. I guess some karters might use them and I have heard of instructors that are in and out of different cars and road cars are using them.

Worth noting there is a recall on Leatt braces on the CAMS website.

[manga_blue]

He races historics - TR3 - but does have a modern harness.