Right Side Safety Net

[marshall_mosty]

Guys,
Looks like a right side net will be required by July of next year, unless your seat has adequate side protection.

http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/1280/3889/123350.pdf

Sorry for the link... I don't know how to turn .PDF files into .JPG.



Maybe AJ can get a group purchase together???

[GlennCMC70]

who's rules are those?

[RichardP]

Interesting stuff.

What is listed as a "preliminary" version of the 2007 CCR can be found here:

http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf


Several little changes that people should keep in mind. Remember that SA95 helmets will not be good this year. Time to upgrade if you have an older helmet...

Head and neck restraints still listed as a posible requirement mid year...


Richard P.

[Mike Bell]

How do you hook those things up? I think Chris Lyons has one in his AI car last time I saw it.

[AllZWay]

Mike this pdf sort of show how they are mounted.

http://216.69.165.17/media/pdf/SafetyFirst7-03.pdf

[Lewis Tanner]

We're eventually going to have so much junk in our cars that there's no room for the driver. Then we will be guaranteed to never be exposed to even the most remote possibility of being injured.

[oz98cobra]

We're eventually going to have so much junk in our cars that there's no room for the driver. Then we will be guaranteed to never be exposed to even the most remote possibility of being injured.

We were just discussing something similar the other day - in particular, these head restraint nets - check out the pics in that Simpson PDF - all these head and neck restraints are severly inhibiting visibilty, which introduces additional risk in itself? They would obviously be a very good thing in a stock car on an oval where you are likely to impact a solid wall at high speed - but in a CMC or SM car at the sppeds and tracks we race at, I think the reduction in visibility, is likely to do more harm than the net could do good, especially if it is yet another think to release or get tangled in in the case of emergency exit?

I have said something similar to this before, but I'll repeat it here - I think systems such as this are all very valid safety items - but not necessarily for every type or class of racing - so there should be general guidelines in the CCRs with specific safety requirements in the class rules.

[Mike Bell]

I'm still confused/concerned about how to mount the forward portion of this little triangle deal. In a CMC car we have stock dashes, no forward portion of the cage in my dash. How could a simple screw or bolt secure this enough to help me in the event of an impact??

[GlennCMC70]

remember guys, a safety net is not the only option in this new rule.

[Lewis Tanner]

[We were just discussing something similar the other day - in particular, these head restraint nets - check out the pics in that Simpson PDF - all these head and neck restraints are severly inhibiting visibilty, which introduces additional risk in itself?

The things are clearly designed for oval track racing, IMO. But, the SCCA mandated them, so NASA must do the same or face the wrath of greedy lawyers and litigious gold diggers.

I've brought up the concept of system safety before - the analysis of a complete system including the car, driver, track, other cars on the track, and the types of incidents that occur as well as how often they occur, and just don't feel that is being taken into account here. One small example: With this thing in my car, I'll have a tough time reaching my kill switch if I need to get to it now. I know I can move the thing, but that will cost me time and money because I was very careful in selecting the location that I mounted it and worked hard to ensure that it was safe.

I read a pretty solid write up the other day on a study that addressed how the perception of an increase in safety actually increases overall risk taking in a manner disproportionate to the reduction that a given safety device actually provides and that devices that present a marginal increase in the safety of one component of a system, therefore increasing the level of risk taking behavior that one will see as acceptable and increasing the overall rate of incidents are not uncommon. The study looked at 17 or 18 countries over 20+ years that had mandated seat belt use and, while the injury per accident rate went down after their use was mandated, the number of accidents per vehicle went up, and the overall injury rate often increased. That's not to say that seat belts are a bad thing, which I'm not arguing, just that our cars are a part of a very complex system and changing one thing in it can have unexpected consequences in another area.

[Lewis Tanner]

remember guys, a safety net is not the only option in this new rule.

You're right. We can also buy a new seat and deal with the hassle of rearranging our setup around that. How much are those running, BTW?

The other option is this simple device. (http://www.racing-seats-usa.com/890.html) Only another $500! That would have been the new fire suit this season. I guess those kinds of decisions regarding where my safety budget is spent are best left out of my hands, as I clearly have no ability to determine where it should go.

[GlennCMC70]

there are add on devices to meet that requirement. no need for a replacement seat.

[AllZWay]

Is this mandated for all classes for Nasa in 2007 or still just in speculation stage?

[AI#97]

Have any of you goofballs worn a hans device... Why on earth do we need anything else holding our heads in a position that I can't see someone next to me...? Give me spotters and constant radio info and I might think about it. :roll:

[marshall_mosty]

IMHO, the HANS didn't limit my visability. If you're cranking your head that far around to see out the 1/4 mirrors, you aren't paying enough attention to what is in front of you.

I can't even tell I'm wearing the HANS from a functional prospective. It DOES limit head rotation, but not any restriction during racing situations.

[GlennCMC70]

the new rule is not about a device that "holds your head" and keeps you from looking out your passenger window. it shouldnt be installed that way. my perception.

[AI#97]

IMHO, the HANS didn't limit my visability. If you're cranking your head that far around to see out the 1/4 mirrors, you aren't paying enough attention to what is in front of you.

I can't even tell I'm wearing the HANS from a functional prospective. It DOES limit head rotation, but not any restriction during racing situations.

Mine more or less lets me see the side mirrors but beyond that consider yourself in my big ass blind spot! I guess the solution here is just to build a brace on the side of my seat or bolted to the main hoop.

Guess I need to sit down and read the rules for 07 and see what ELSE I have to do in the off season.... :roll:

[Mike Bell]

I'd wait a few days Matt, NASA still lists those CCR's as "preliminary" and you might be studying the wrong version. I'm not sure when the official version is due out.

[jeffburch]

This one time, at band camp......

I spun at Houston early last year to the left of the chicane just before the launch. There is a little road there. I'm on the little road attempting to re-enter the track but was at such the angle, I couldn't see cars approaching from my right.
I had to back up to the left so as to see.
I think this was my 1st time in the hans.
Have never had a situation similar since.

jb