SAFETY TORRENS

Glenn Torren’s piece in the September issue is a reminder of the importance of safety devices in motor sport.

Having seen a number of friends die in accidents in historic racing, I totally agree with that. Where it falls a bit short is the way it depicts the HANS devices. Whilst head restraint (usually HANS) is now mandatory for a lot of Australian motor sport, the HANS devices themselves tend to provide a false sense of security. They are only truly effective in head-on collisions, and restrict head movement in open-wheel cars (unless the owner buys the considerably more expensive version with adjustable neck angle etc).

A good friend of mine – a doctor specialising in motor sport safety – acknowledges these limitations. There are some excellent alternative head restraints that provide more protection, often for less money. One is the FIA approved Simpson Hybrid restraint.I use one in historic open-wheelers. Most of the deaths I have observed in open-wheel cars wouldn’t have been prevented by a HANS device, because these cars rarely hit solid things head on. Glenn seems almost apologetic in talking about this, but he’s absolutely right to raise it. The issue applies to all forms of motor sport. My purpose in writing this is to support Glenn’s overall point and provide a bit more insight into options when it comes to head restraints.

Brian Wilson

ED: If you missed it, you can find Glenn’s piece at tradeuniquecars.com.au. Go to ‘News & Reviews’ and search for ‘safety first’.