WHERE IS IT USED?

Despite the improvements in driver safety, the HANS device was initially resisted by safety-device manufacturers and drivers alike, due to how restrictive it was. It wouldn’t be until the mid ’90s, when a spate of basilar skull fractures claimed the lives of high-profile drivers, such as Ayrton Senna, Roland Ratzenberger, and Dale Earnhardt, that it was taken seriously.

Earnhardt famously claimed that HANS devices were uncomfortable, too restrictive, and said that he feared they would cause more injuries and problems than they prevented. He would go on to state that the anchors would sooner hang him than save him in the event of a crash and referred to the device as “that damn noose”.

After further redesigns for comfort and improved movement, driver acceptance was further helped through the use of quick-release shackles, which were developed and implemented by Ashley Tilling. These were sourced from the marine industry, where they were used on racing sailboat rigging, allowing a driver to remove the device with a quick pull when exiting the vehicle.

Nascar mandated the use of HANS devices in 2001, while Formula 1 followed suit in 2003, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in 2004, and both the WRC and Australian V8 Supercars series in 2005. And today, it is mandatory to use a HANS device in nearly all top-tier motorsports and most national series — and, as mentioned earlier, both Hampton Downs and Highlands Park now mandate their use at a venue level for all vehicles fitted with a four-point or greater harness.