hans device

[7thgear]

for those that still don't know

i might pick one up for this year, getting too old to risk my neck

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...-lives-feature

[Ryephile]

A fantastic idea for those that have harness bars, 6-points, and corresponding seats.

[Mitch]

Depends on what kind of racing you're doing. Autocross with no fixed objects, you'll probably benefit more from being able to turn your head. I'd definitely consider the investment if I were on a course without ample run-off or if I was on course with multiple vehicles.

[#87]

wow, that seems like such a relatively simple idea with huge implications for driver safety.

How much do they go for?

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by Ryephile

A fantastic idea for those that have harness bars, 6-points, and corresponding seats.

This statement should be in bold. The HANS device doesn't do squat for you unless you have a a full harness and the correct racing seat. Just strapping one of these things to your helmet in a stock car with a seat belt doesn't provide any more protection than not having one.

[Homemade WRX]

Price depends on model and options. They start a little north of $500 and run up to about $1300 at the high end.

Also know that to work, they don't only require harnesses but specific Hans styled harnesses. They are thinner shoulder straps.

I'd actually been planning to pick one up this year for my Impreza.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by Ryephile

A fantastic idea for those that have harness bars, 6-points, and corresponding seats.

it works best under those conditions...

while the vertical shoulder straps of a 5/6 point setup will most def help in directing forces in the right direction, your helmet is still tied to this flat device that will spread the force of your head moving forward over your chest.

there are hybrids/other variants out there for the 3 point belt people

the idea is the same though

seriously though, i've been lucky to have never hit a solid object in my years of racing, but our helmets are heavy and our necks not as tough as we think they are.

[oneday]

There are absolutely _raging_ debates about the actual merits of the HANS brand device compared to alternative devices. If you must have an SFI 38.1 restaint (SCCA/NASA) then you are stuck with HANS and and Safety Solutions. The biggest problem with HANS and SFI 38.1 is that HANS literally wrote the standards for SFI 38.1 and made it so in order to meet the standard you had to risk infringing on their patents.

A product called DefNDer (which is SFI 38.1 compliant) was available for a couple of years and then was sued out of existence by HANS, but if you can find one that is still bearing the SFI sticker, get it. Also worth considering is the ISAAC device, which is not SFI compliant. Both the DefNder and ISAAC provide protection from lateral loads while the HANS does not.

I've been wearing my DefNder whenever I am on track for the last 2.5 years, regardless of harness. The design is such that while I won't get full benefit from device if worn with a standard 3-pt harness, I will still be saved from BSF injuries because it prevents your chin from being able to touch your chest.

Prices range from $595-1500 depending on materials and manufacturer. Consult your sanctioning body's GCR for requirements before buying anything.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Ryephile

A fantastic idea for those that have harness bars, 6-points, and corresponding seats.

damnit IE crashed in the middle of my reply.. anyways..

I'm assuming you meant rollover protection there.

I use a HANS for W2W racing and occasionally for testing the race car. I do not use one for DEs in my street cars, autocross, etc.

A HANS device is just part of the overall safety solution. By itself it's nothing. IMO you have to approach safety from an all or nothing perspective (I'll explain).

I'll start with the nothing side. Stock style reclinable seats can collapse in serious rollovers. This, along with the design of OEM 3 point harnesses (seatbelts), is meant to better protect a driver in a rollover. That may sound wrong, but the way the seatbelt allows your body to move is down and to the inside of the car. That is the safest place without rollover protection. IMO stock seats are a horrible thing to use WITH rollover protection though. If the stock seat collapses/breaks, your body will now move freely right into large steel bars of the roll bar. Not ideal. Even worse with a harness bar if you use the harnesses on the street. Rollover and your head is kept in the perfect position to allow your neck and back to be broken. Let the OEM pieces work together as designed or go all out and do it correctly IMO (which greatly limits the cars usage on the street with a 4 point bar, or basically eliminates it with a cage).

Now for the all out route. At a minimum I'd run a 4 point rollbar, fixed back seats and 5/6 point harness. This would still allow street usage of the car (front seats only). For an actual track car I'd ideally run a minimum 6 point cage, fixed back seat with seat brace and the seat mounted to the cage, not the car (ie structure under the seat that attaches to the cage and with recent rule changes would allow welding that structure to the car body as well), 6 point HANS harness (should only be used with the HANS, since this car would no longer see street usage I'd run the HANS specific harnesses).

The HANS could be used with either the 4 point rollbar or the 6 (or more) point rollcage. It should never be used with any other setup IMO (and HANS will agree with that).

Too bad the DefNDer is gone, it was nicer than the HANS.

There are other systems that are more friendly for 3 point solutions that don't tie into the cage that would great for general HPDE usage.

The above also basically follows the safety standards we enforce at events I help run. We gets lots of bitching from the TT folks. We become the honey badger regarding their complaints.