Carl:
You and I often think alike. But this time, I'm must disagree.
First, the physics are like what has been described in some of these posts.
An analogy that one of the Occupant Restraint companies uses is protecting
an egg from damage. The job of the restraint devices are just that...managing
all the loads on your body (i.e., the egg).
Sometimes its the first impact that's an issue...i.e. you bouncing off of
the steering wheel, roll bar, or some other "blunt force trauma".
In other cases, its the secondary impact that's an issue.....you and your
car have experienced a major "delta V", going from 100 to zero in a short
period of time. In that case, its the secondary impact of your internal
organs
smashing into your skeleton or skull that can cause the injury (They're still
going 100 when you've stopped!).
In both cases, a well engineered occupant restraint system can help. Its
not just about tieing you down rigidly to the car, its about managing your
movement during the crash event....i.e. disappaiting all of that kinetic energy
you were enjoying up to the moment of impact. Ever notice those sewn-over
folds in some seatbelts with strange stiching patterns? Those are meant to
break away at some g-level, allowing you to "ride down" a bad enough crash
force.
I'm sorry, but I just don't buy the argument of restricted mobility being so
bad that you can no longer avoid incidents. This is more of a learned
behavior. I felt the same thing when I first started wearing a horsecollar.
Now, I'm so used to it, I feel naked and unprotected without it. I would
imagine the HANS-experienced guys feel the same way.
There are many cases when all the visibility in the world won't help you.
For example, during my 15 minutes of fame race at the 1995 Palm Springs GP,
there was a horrific accident, when an Alfa GTV lost its brakes and ran full
throttle up the back of a Lotus 7 (or may have even been an earlier model).
This happened right in front of a TV camera and became one of ESPN's favorite
video clips for their annual "wrecks" highlights. The footage shows the poor
driver of the Lotus' neck snap back in slo-mo to nearly 90 degrees at impact.
I don't believe the final injuries were as severe as it looked, but it
certainly could have been worse. Or, if a HANS had been worn, whatever
injuries
were sustained could have been less. (Maybe those involved in this incident
are out there reading this?...)
Or what about the situation where you've spun (for whatever reason...in
someone else's oil perhaps), and get clobbered when those behind you have
nowhere
to go. Or, you've drifted off course somewhere and are now sliding across
an infield of wet grass with no effective steering or brakes and there's a
guard rail or barrier approaching rapidly. It can and does happen. If and
when
it does, I certainly would want to be wearing a HANS.
When you read some of the technical reports and compare the neck loading
differences in even minor delta V situations, the benefits of the HANS are
hard
to ignore. There are 18 SAE Papers alone that reference and report on the
benefits of the device.
Certainly none of us plan to crash, or catch fire. But we're very foolish
if we don't take appropriate preventative steps that are proven to help us in
such situations. Don't make us sit around talking about what a great guy
Carl was. Ask your wife or kids or ??? if you're worth $1600 bucks and let
their advice guide your next purchase.
Regards,
Myles H. Kitchen
1965 Lotus Cortina Mk1 #128
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