Safety First With Head And Neck Restraint Systems

By Teri Farley


Regardless if one is a professional or an amateur race car driver, it is important that he should value his safety, just as much as winning that race. Extreme sports like race car driving involves danger in just about any corner. There have been thousands of injuries recorded as racing related injuries due to crashes which could cause severe damages particularly to the upper part of the body hence the need for one to wear head and neck restraint systems.

But wearing these devices is not something that was well embraced by race car drivers, in fact some may find it completely unnecessary not to mention restrictive and uncomfortable. However, since January of 2012, these devices are considered mandatory in the Sports Car Club of America Club Racing and other well known organizations such as the National Auto Sports Association.

Although this type of fracture is considered a rarity, it's still possible during race crash. Basilar skull fracture is a severe form of head injury which causes a tear on the meninges, the membranes which surrounds the brain which will cause the cerebrospinal fluid to leak. This injury alone should not have been very fatal but it causes a decrease of blood flow to the brain resulting to death.

When one is considering to buy such device, a number of factors have to be considered. For starters, make sure that the device is SFI-approved. For a device to be considered efficient and safe, it should meet the specifications from either SFI 38.1 or FIA 8859. In fact, respected race car organizations mandated that all devices used should be within such guidelines.

Basal skull fracture is one of the most life threatening injuries in racing however it was commonly ignored for years. In fact, these safety devices were not taken seriously at all up until major crashes in the track are getting more prominent and an increasing number of death caused by such fracture became more noticeable.

There are four manufacturers that meet SFI 38.1 specifications as of present. Although this may sound like your choice will be limited, there are actually a lot of choices for an SFI approved equipment as these manufacturers provide several equipments at a different price ranges. There will be a broad range of products that one can check out, all of which may have different features and price.

When looking for the most reliable safety device, it is important for one to consider several factors. To start with make sure that the manufacturer of the device is SFI approved. There are about four manufacturers whose products passed the specifications of SFI 38.1, and these should only be the products one has to choose from.

In addition to that, when searching for the most appropriate device test fitting is deeply encouraged. It is crucial to get the proper size on the device to get the proper fit and the proper restraint as well. Inadequate fit will only make you uncomfortable and the whole thing may not efficient at all. Ease of use is also important, one should get in and out of the straps without confusion.

Racing may be an adrenaline filled kind of sport this does not mean that one should forget to secure his safety. With head and neck restraint systems one will be a lot safer and be efficiently protected during minor bumps and major accidents.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment