Below is the emailed memo I received from SCCA National on the potential for a driver to have his jaw fractured by an air bag while wearing a full face helmet. I would imagine HPDE drivers, Showroom Stock, and Touring (in SCCA) might want to take notice. I guess that creates a dilemma. I don't like open face because in a crash you can suffer facial injuries but it appears now in an airbag car you may get them anyhow. Here is the text of the memo:

It has been brought to the attention of SCCA Technical Services that the use
of full-face or closed-face helmets while driving vehicles with active airbag
restraint systems may result in injuries in the event of a crash that deploys
the airbag. Because of the location of the steering wheel relative to a
driver’s position, the airbag axis is on a level with the driver’s chin. In a
crash with airbag deployment, contact with the chin area of a full-face
helmet can be so powerful “that the risk of fractures to the jaw cannot be
ruled out“ (Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3/AF, 18.5.1999). This applies
to vehicle that may be used in Solo, RallyCross, High Performance Car
Control Clinics, etc.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that full-face helmets not be used in
vehicles with functional airbag systems. Potentially more restrictive language
is currently being considered for 2005, which could appear in an early 2005
issue of FasTrack. If you have any questions, please contact the SCCA at
(800) 770-2055.


Barry H.

 

Glad I took my airbag out Now I have an excuse!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by apexinghonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> “that the risk of fractures to the jaw cannot be
ruled out“ (Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3/AF, 18.5.1999). </TD></TR></TABLE>

Unless this is just poor reporting and there is significant evidence not being cited here, allow me to be the first to dismiss this statement. When my face is on the line, theoretical injuries from airbag deployment into my full-faced helmet do not outweigh the very real injuries that result from open-faced helmets in many different (or even similar) situations.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Therefore, it is highly recommended that full-face helmets not be used in
vehicles with functional airbag systems. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree that people should be made aware of all of the potential risks they take when participating in motorsports. However, "highly recommend[ing]" anything based on results that simply cannot be "ruled out" is dangerous. We do not, for example, see a large number of jaw fractures in motorcycle riders with full face helmets resulting from direct impact to the chin portion of their helmet. What we DO see is a lot of motorcycle riders missing their jaw following similar trauma in open-faced helmets. Even though we're talking about contact with an airbag in an enclosed vehicle, let's not forget that such contact is one of many that your head might make in a serious accident.

 

This sounds like the standard CYA (Cover Your ***) statement so as to best avoid some liability in case this happened to someone and they claimed "SCCA didn't warn me about this" and name them in a suit. Same deal as the seat belt replacement and basically the loss of Pro Rally. It all comes down to insurance and liability. Can't blame them either, it is in the best interests of their members/owners not to risk huge financial losses to lawsuits. All it takes is one big decision against them and the club can be on the ropes if not worse.

This discussion reminds me of the old motorcycle helmet question. Twenty years ago when I was riding on the street, many people said that people with full face helmets were some percentage more likely to break their collarbones when the chin bar hits the ground and jerks on your neck. The alternative was to not have the cin bar so your face itself could be the part that makes the contact with the road surface. Your coice- risk a greater chance of a broken collarbone or risk grinding your chin and jaw into hamburger when it hits the ground. Full face got my vote back then and remains my helmet choice in the track and autocross car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Potentially more restrictive language
is currently being considered for 2005, which could appear in an early 2005
issue of FasTrack.</TD></TR></TABLE>
"more restrictive language" == rules against closed face helmets for Solo??

That would tick me off.. I'm not understanding their scenario quite right, I think.. why is the helmet going to break my jaw when the bag itself wouldn't? extra proximity to the explosion? "On a level with a driver's chin" means what? the helmet is being driven straight back? or is it acting as a lever arm to wrench the head more?

Ok, sure it's "CYA", "damned lawyer" crap.. but what the heck is it based on? Somebody had a bad dream? They saw it in a Sponge Bob cartoon?

 

This is a simple thing to fix. Make it legal to unplug the airbag in Stock, if it's not already.

Seriously, what is going on in Topeka? Last time I went I didn't see anyone with his or her head crammed up anything it shouldn't have been.

The risk of jaw fractures during an accident involving airbag deployment when you're not wearing a helmet can't be ruled out either. I'm thinking of a word that begins with "r", ends with "tarded" and has a vowel in it somewhere too.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This sounds like the standard CYA (Cover Your ***) statement....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Seriously.

WARNING: Hitting a solid object at speed in a car may cause injury or death! Well DUH!!!

I have hit the turn 12 wall at RA before w/ air bags going off and full face helment. I am still here to tell the tale.

 

Ever see what an airbag will do to someone's forearms? If one was to have one's arms crossed up when the bag deploys, one would be eating with metal hooks through one's broken jaw.

Just "highly recommend" removing the explosives from the steering wheel and be done with it.

 

Showroom Stock requires you remove or disable the airbags.

I am sticking with my full face. I hate the idea of airbags anyway.

Jon K
http://www.seat-time.com

 

Fellas. SCCA didn't make this up. Hubert Gramling is a Mercedes (Daimler Chrysler whatever) engineer who for years was on "loan" to the FIA to analyze motorsports safety (including Formula 1)and hangs out with the likes of Prof. Sid Watkins. Has been involved in the wheel tether analysis, Hans devices, all kinds of motorsports safety issues. He is no lightweight in the motorsports safety business. He is not a SCCA "tech dept" person. If Gramling says there is a problem in this regard, I would think he has both the resources to prove this is a issue coming to light and the data to back it up. I have not seen it yet and maybe Gramling will show up at the SCCA national convention again this time in 2005. If he does I am pretty sure he may talk about it and if he does not somebody in the audience (maybe me) will ask. Actually I might email back to national before then and ask if there is a reference to a SAE like paper (looks like they are citing some FIA article in the announcement) on this issue.

In this day and age when John Q. Public typically refuses to accept any responsibility for his own actions including getting hurt while engaging in an inherently dangerous activity, motorsports, can you blame them for not saying something about it? I don't think so. My track car has no airbags but I instruct in cars that do. I have also seen facial injuries in accidents on track where the driver has an open face. If I have to pick I pick a full face helmet wrapped around my whole skull.

Barry H.

Barry H.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by apexinghonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Fellas. SCCA didn't make this up. </TD></TR></TABLE>
No, they didn't. But, according to the citation of Gramling's article :
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3/AF, 18.5.1999</TD></TR></TABLE>
the SCCA sure waited long enough (5 1/2 years) to "warn" us soloists.

Karen


Modified by CamaroFS34 at 10:49 AM 11/18/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamSlowdotOrg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The risk of jaw fractures during an accident involving airbag deployment when you're not wearing a helmet can't be ruled out either. I'm thinking of a word that begins with "r", ends with "tarded" and has a vowel in it somewhere too. </TD></TR></TABLE>

My guess is that it has something to do with the forces being concentrated when a full face helmet is worn. With no helmet, or an open face helmet, the forces are spread over a larger area resulting in little or no injury. Perhaps when the bag contacts the chin bar, the jaw and chin bar collide as the helmet shifts rearward, or maybe the chin strap causes the fracture? Just speculating.

Id like to know the whole story.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamSlowdotOrg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is a simple thing to fix. Make it legal to unplug the airbag in Stock, if it's not already. </TD></TR></TABLE>



I'm not going to switch to an open face helmet, no thank you.