Head-And-Neck Restraints - Are We Safer Yet?

When Ashline introduced the Hutchens Device, it and the HANS were the only devices certified for use in NASCAR's top three series. Certification required that it adequately protect a driver in a 50g frontal impact. For comparison, Dale Earnhardt's crash was calculated to be around 42 g's. So why the 50g test? Ashline said it was simply the most that test impact sleds were capable of at the time.

Since then, the SFI Foundation has adopted a new certification standard, known as "38.1," for head-and-neck restraint systems. The SFI 38.1 standard mandates that a restraint system adequately protect a driver (their definition of adequate protection is less than 4,000 newtons or 899 pounds of tension on the neck) in a 70g crash. For a frame of reference, Ashline says that if a Nextel Cup car were to be involved in a 70g crash, there wouldn't be a single part that remained usable. Even the crankshaft inside the block would be damaged. Seventy g's is so extreme that Ashline says they have difficulty with brand-new seatbelts breaking during the tests. Ashline is the only person in the world to have more than one system approved under SFI 38.1 guidelines.

The SFI 38.1 requirement has been adopted by NASCAR and many other racing series and is useful because if the restraint system you use complies with it, you can be assured that it will help your head and neck withstand impacts that could otherwise be fatal. The test is so rigorous, however, that some devices designed for the previous 50g standard, such as the original Hutchens design, won't pass. Ashline still sells the Hutchens-with the Kevlar upgrade-because it is one of the most cost-effective units on the market and many racers prefer it. "The Hutchens still works," Ashline says. "I have reams and reams of test data that proves it will help a driver in an accident, so I will sell it to someone if that's what they want. Sometimes that's all they can afford. But they should be aware there are models available, such as the R3 or my Hutchens Hybrid, that offer even more protection."

Safety Solutions sells five different head-and-neck restraint systems for adults. All are designed to fit different needs and fit different budgets. The Hutchens Hybrid, the Hutch II, and the R3 all meet SFI 38.1 standards. The original Hutchens Device and the D-cel also offer significant protection but are not SFI 38.1 certified. The HANS Device is also certified.

Your choice depends on your wallet and your personal preferences. When trying on a system, it is important to see how easily you can get into and out of the car. Minimal bulk is very helpful in this regard, because even if the device will help you in a collision, you may not be much better off if you are trapped in a car that's on fire. Ashline also stresses the importance of finding out how well the device you are considering will protect in an impact on an angle. Few drivers at aturday night tracks have the extensive head and shoulder support braces that Nextel Cup drivers use, so a head-and-neck restraint that helps support your head in a side or three-quarter impact is important. After all, very few impacts in oval track racing are head-on; most are either from the side or affect only one corner of the car.

Finally, when purchasing a head-and-neck restraint system, it is also important to consider the helmet you will be using. All current head-and-neck restraint systems work by restraining the helmet and depend on the helmet to halt the movement of your head and neck. Because of this, helmet fit and design is critical. Ashline recommends using a helmet that fits your head as snugly as possible without causing headaches. In a collision, what typically happens is the driver's head slides forward inside the helmet until it is stopped by the chin bar. So it will also be helpful if you choose a helmet with a chin bar that has lots of padding and fits closely around the mouth and chin. Also, it should now be obvious why using an open-face helmet is strongly discouraged. If the chin bar is removed from the equation, you are now depending on the chin strap to stop the movement of your head and neck. Please don't go this route.

There is no doubt that we've come a long way in the last five years when it comes to protecting the driver in the event of the unthinkable. Fortunately, the "big crash" is still a rare event. The good news is that, as Hubbard says, even in a minor accident these new technologies still work. In a wreck where you might have walked away with a sore shoulder or a stiff neck, new restraint technologies can allow you to walk away with no pain at all.