Head and Neck restraint

Looking at getting back in the car soon.

I personally think it's overkill to require head restraints in FV, but rules is rules....Is anyone currently using Impact's NecksGen restraint? I am concerned with adjustability. I am very reclined in my Vee and a HANS I tried wouldn't allow me to tilt my head enough to see my front wheels. The NecksGen says it is adjustable from 10-40 deg. I'm not even sure what to use as a reference point to determine what angle I need.

Any first hand knowledge or luck with another system would be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

The Simpson product seems to be the choice for large drivers in lay-down FVs.

Thanks, Greg. I don't know how I overlooked Simpson. My helmet and belts are out of date too..can't wait to drop $1500+ just to be safety compliant. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Agitator

Looking at getting back in the car soon.

I personally think it's overkill to require head restraints in FV, but rules is rules....Is anyone currently using Impact's NecksGen restraint? I am concerned with adjustability. I am very reclined in my Vee and a HANS I tried wouldn't allow me to tilt my head enough to see my front wheels. The NecksGen says it is adjustable from 10-40 deg. I'm not even sure what to use as a reference point to determine what angle I need.

Any first hand knowledge or luck with another system would be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

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I fully encourage the head and neck restraint rule. I have a Hans, and one of the first times I used it, I came in contact with another car which broke my steering and went into a tire wall doing close to 100mph. After they lifted the tires off the car, I got out on my own. The first responding paramedic said that if I didn't have a Hans on, I would have broken my neck...he said it with no hesitation or doubt.

Not specifically promoting Hans, just restraints in general. Hans works well for me, but I have also heard good things about the Simpson that Greg mentioned.

A few months after Dale Earnhardt's death, I read a technical article which included vector analysis of the impact with the wall. The article stated that the impact speed was 54 mph.

I have a Simpson Hybrid Pro that works well in my reclining BRD Flamingo C ( a Lynx clone). It has a lower collar in back & fits far better than a HANS. it also has helmet clips I can attach myself when strapped in.
The extra straps around my chest are imperceptable once I get in the car.
I haven't "tested " it yet.. but have seen good comparisons to HANS, etc.
Dennis

As a reference for impacts, the institute that does all the testing in the US for passenger car impact design missed a major issue, having designed the crush requirements for frontal collision to be based on the worse possible collision conditions.

Then, they started looking at a large amount of data from frontal injuries that happened with a 25% impact. It appears that the crush requirements, air bag design,etc were not optimal for lesser accidents and folks were coming away badly injured. Only 2 cars currently are engineered for these lesser impacts. The new Honda Accord and Volvo T60.

My only point re: race car accidents is it might not always be high impact speeds.......but odd angles of impact, as well that can cause basel skull fractures.

We need H&N devices despite the discomfort and fit issues. Had the same issue of not being able to see my instruments in my F500 wearing a 30 deg HANS. Solved it by selling the car to an even smaller racer....LOL.

PS: I found that switching to a different Bell helmet helped my vision issue with the HANS.

Sorry, didn't mean to start a debate about the need for head and neck restraints. I could give my opinion and my basis for it, but in the end it really doesn't matter - it is a rule that is in place, and one we all have to deal with.

Dennis, thanks for the first hand account. I'm probably going to have to do something to my position, regardless of which device I use - my chin is virtually on my chest WITHOUT one. I'm 6'2" without a lot of options except to break out the torch and start cutting...:hammer:

Look at the Simpson devices. The Hybrid Pro Rage straps across the back of your shoulder blades and has nothing on your shoulders or chest that will interfere with the helmet. I bought an R3 a while back before the rule was mandatory, but if I had to buy one now the Hybrid Pro Rage would be my choice.

http://simpsonraceproducts.com/head-...brid_rage.html

Looks like the Rage may be a winner, Chris. Definitely worth a try and relatively inexpensive. I'm still probably looking at having to make some chassis modifications. I'm on the very edge of the "broomstick" test - pushing me even slightly forward will probably require me to raise my roll bar. If that's the least I have to do, then it won't be too bad.

I saw the mention of price in a post and that is the last factor that should be considered. We spend thousands of dollars on motors, trailers, and race expense but want to save a few bucks on a safety item. I bought my Hans about 4 years ago when there were no deals on the 40 degree model. Cost $1700 . Worth every penny. I'd do it again in a heartbeat...

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Originally Posted by Agitator

Looking at getting back in the car soon.

James

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Glad to hear it James!

Dan Wise