Originally Posted by
fleetdude
It’s interesting that Administrator Carter, after professing to be baffled by the resistance by some to HNR mandates, produces one of his lengthiest and most derisive posts in reply to reasonable explanations from resistors who offer it. (“Bad move, you lose…sorry, you should have seen the writing on the wall”).This is not a simple, straight forward matter. The numerous questions from many when they are first considering a HNR should indicate that, not to mention the more numerous discussions and inquiries about what to do when it’s discovered that shoulder belt spacing is wrong, devices sometimes interfere with helmets, preventing looking down even enough to see the track, let alone one’s harness release, etc etc
The “stubborn resistance” to the SFI mandate that a device not be connected to the car, only to the driver, was not a resistance to safety. Just the opposite. It was a resistance by many who had investigated HNR long before they caught on and were being discussed as a potential requirement. It was a resistance by those concerned MOST over the increasingly tragic consequences of the head snapping too far forward too quickly in an accident. Evidence (that’s repeated laboratory testing using same regimen as SFI) showed the Isaac HNR to be the BEST AT PREVENTING said injury/death. ADDITIONALLY, it is the only device which absorbs energy of such deceleration, rather than transferring it into the unrestrained brain/brain fluid inside the skull (concussion, also potentially fatal). There are significant other advantages to Isaac, such as one device really does fit all users, and all cars, and only one possible drawback to it. Those of us who use Isaac know that that “drawback” is greatly over emphasized by SFI, Mr. Carter, and other detractors.
That being that it does not release with the safety harness latch, and needs to be uncoupled separately (2 detent pins at helmet attach point; takes one second per ea, use either or both hands; doesn’t seem to be a concern for radio/drink/sternum strap etc which also need separate release), and this prevents SFI certification. As I stated “years ago” many who oppose the SFI mandate (I’ll leave it to others to discuss who and what SFI is) strongly urge all racers to use a HNR. Use the one of your choice. But it is irresponsible, and potentially tragic, to mandate that I cannot use the well designed, aerospace quality HNR device that I ‘m convinced, after serious and lengthy investigation, to be the best one, at least for me. No, that doesn’t mean that any old concoction of wire and duct tape should be acceptable, so don’t start with that (re Isaacdirect.com for more info). Perhaps SCCA and others just needs a better way of evaluating and mandating safety.