| One fact, though unfortunate, that every | | | | A great deal of speculation has been |
| racecar driver must face, is the fact | | | | made as to whether or not the use of the |
| that they are at a high risk of becoming | | | | HANS device, or a similar safety device, |
| seriously injured on the job. This is | | | | would have saved the lives of several |
| mainly because of the high-speeds | | | | drivers who met with head on collisions |
| attained while racing such powerful | | | | with a retaining wall. Most people do |
| vehicles. Because of this reality, race | | | | believe, however, that if the devices |
| officials, along with drivers, teams, | | | | had been made mandatory at an earlier |
| and safety personnel, have started to | | | | date, many lives could have been saved. |
| look at ways of preventing said | | | | This may in fact be true, because |
| injuries. One area that has been under a | | | | without the use of a HANS-like device, a |
| great deal of improvement during the | | | | driver's head is left unsecured, while |
| last few years looks into ways to | | | | his body remains strapped to the seat. |
| protect a driver's back and neck. In | | | | This combination, along with the right |
| this area alone, several safety devices | | | | angle of impact, is likely to result in |
| have been created, many of which are now | | | | a base-line fracture of the skull. |
| finding their way into the sport, in | | | | Since the recent publicity of the |
| turn making it safer. | | | | device, programs have been put together |
| One such device is the HANS device. | | | | by such big-name companies as Ford, |
| Acronymically named, the device, which | | | | whose aim is to make sure that every |
| stands for "Head and Neck Support", has | | | | racecar driver receives one of these |
| now been made mandatory in several | | | | lifesaving devices. The programs, which |
| racing organizations as an effort to | | | | are set up to help the low-budget race |
| prevent future fatalities during racing | | | | teams, bring the safety device to those |
| events. It was Jim Downing, a former | | | | unable to afford it because of its large |
| IMSA driver, and his brother-in-law, Dr. | | | | price tag. Any driver may request a free |
| Robert Hubbard, a professor of | | | | HANS device, and in return will receive |
| engineering at Michigan State | | | | the restraint that just might end up |
| University, who developed the device. | | | | saving their life in the future. |
| Their efforts were not in vain. The | | | | It will never be known for certain if |
| device dramatically reduces the chance | | | | the sooner use of such a device would |
| of sustaining a serious injury caused by | | | | have saved any lives, but what is known |
| the unrestrained movement of the head | | | | is the fact the device could have saved |
| during a crash. | | | | lives. As the racing becomes faster, the |
| Physically, the HANS device consists of | | | | danger to the driver increases. With |
| a semi-hard collar, which is made from a | | | | this increased risk, comes the increased |
| mix of carbon fibre and Kevlar. This is | | | | possibility for serious injuries and |
| held to the upper body by a harness, | | | | even death. Everyone in the industry |
| which is worn by the driver. Then, two | | | | needs to work together to overcome, or |
| flexible tethers are attached from the | | | | at least, reduce this problem by |
| collar to the helmet, preventing the | | | | implementing new safety measures, such |
| head from rapidly moving forward or to | | | | as the HANS device, to help prevent |
| the side during the impact of a crash. | | | | driver injury. |