Basics About Head And Neck Restraints

By Stacey Massey


Head and neck restraints are devices used in sport car racing and other related activities. They are used to reduce or minimize the amount of injury caused to the head and the neck in case of a crash. The major kind of injury they protect against is basilar skull fracture. They are abbreviated as HANS, and are sometimes referred to as head and neck support devices or simply restraints.

They are made of different parts that do various tasks while safeguarding the body. The main parts are tether, shoulder support, and helmet anchor among others. The helmet anchors and tethers are placed one on either side. The helmet anchors are attached into the helmets to hold them in position in the event of a crash. There are additional attachment devices, which help connect the HAN systems to other gadgets used for safety reasons.

The devices are made of carbon fiber, in a letter U shape. The backside of that U shape lies on the napes of necks whereas the arms lay along the chests. The device derives support from both shoulders. Extra support comes from stomach protecting gadgets and the helmet. It is never connected to the seat, car, the body of its driver or safety belt.

The seat belts are supposed to go across the chests over the HAN gear. The equipment is clasped in the front around the stomach, thus it gets its support from the bodies of wearers, not the car or the seat. It is made in a manner that it cannot come off irrespective of level of impact it is exposed to.

The HAN systems serve major purposes in all cases they are applied. They are designed to limit movement of the neck in order to prevent the skull from traveling forward so fast if a crash takes place. When the velocity of the head is reduced, the force with which it hits onto the parts of a car in front is reduced, thus reducing injuries suffered.

Generally, they decelerate and retain the position of the head relative to the body. In doing this, the force from the crash is conveyed to stronger parts such as the chest, shoulders, and torso. Some of force is then diverted to the seat-belts and the seats. In many racing events, it is compulsory for every participant to wear these safety devices for them to be allowed to participate. Failing to put them on is a breach of regulations and can possibly lead to disqualification of such a participant.

The appliance is made safe to the user who puts it on by installing efficient insulation materials. The materials are intended to prevent and absorb shock from the wearer. The padding is made in form of many layers of insulators that are fitted on the interior part of the gadget. The equipment is then made of extremely strong material on the exterior part to stop it from breaking in case of an impact.

There are different makes of head and neck restraints. These devices may be bought from any shop that sells safety wears for racing automobiles. They are quite inexpensive as a result of advanced production technology and increased competition among manufacturers.




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