I'm thinking about getting a rollcage for my track and sometimes daily driven car, but i was wondering how safe they are for street use. Being that you don't wear a helmet on the street and the cage is pretty close to your head, isn't that dangerous. Even if you put padding, is it safe for street use?

 

you answered your own question.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fuuma0083 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you answered your own question.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I use an SFI padded rollbar in my street car, and it still makes me a little nervous. Unless it was RARELY street driven, I wouldn't chance it with a full cage, and would feel very uncomfortable that I'd die in a minor side-impact collision.

It wouldn't be the first time it's been done... but you'd be better off without the cage unless you "need" it for road racing.

 

no they arent safe really, but if you had to, i would make sure to get a seat with an open helmet support, that would keep your head relativley away from the roll bar and you would still be able to check your blinds.

but still its not very safe, dont take this responce as an "yea its cool go do it"

 

My Civic has a full cage and I drive it daily. I have a lot of padding, but also my head is not too close to the bars. It is the high density padding. Door bars get annoying climbing over every day.

 

what about a 4 point rollcage? that would seem to be safer since you dont have bars coming down from the ceiling to the front of the car. The only bar that might be in the way is the main hoop but it seems that would be far enough out of the way. My main reason for wanting a rolecage/rollbar is to not only protect in a rollover but also allow me to mount harnesses properly. ive heard that harnesses can be dangerous in a car w/o a rollcage or rollbar because they will hold u in tight and not allow your body to fold forward, thus having the roof of the car come down on you and cause serious damage. would a rollbar prevent the roof from collapsing on you and would it be safe ot use with a harness. thanks.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aesthetics82 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what about a 4 point rollcage? that would seem to be safer since you dont have bars coming down from the ceiling to the front of the car. The only bar that might be in the way is the main hoop but it seems that would be far enough out of the way. My main reason for wanting a rolecage/rollbar is to not only protect in a rollover but also allow me to mount harnesses properly. ive heard that harnesses can be dangerous in a car w/o a rollcage or rollbar because they will hold u in tight and not allow your body to fold forward, thus having the roof of the car come down on you and cause serious damage. would a rollbar prevent the roof from collapsing on you and would it be safe ot use with a harness. thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I did a rollbar (Autopower bolt-in) for the same reason. There's a number of street 'tegs with the same setup. Chris N, SandMracing guys, etc.

Get padding at the same time.

 

I have a roll bar in my daily driver Prelude. An Autopower bolt in is pretty safe, and sits relatively far back behind the driver's seat. Of course it makes the back seats useless, and might require either leaving some of the interior panels out, or cutting them. It will give you a great place to mount harnesses though.


Matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Simon Tibbett &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... but also my head is not too close to the bars. It is the high density padding... </TD></TR></TABLE>

You might be surprised at how much a neck (and a seatbelt) can stretch with a fast moving head attached to it. (Think sudden deceleration of the body, and no restraint on the head movement.) Think about it... how do people break windshields with their heads while wearing a seatbelt. Something stretches, and I guarentee it's not just the belts.


Original poster: I'd be hesitant to run a full cage in a daily driver. If you want something because you track your DD, then compromise and get a rollbar.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aesthetics82 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are rollcages safe for street use?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No.
That doesn't stop people from doing it mind you.

As already mentioned, if you must, put in a roll bar.

 

I am also the idiot driving with a 5 point harness..... lol BUT I drive it to school and usually use my moms car on weekends

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by r2x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You might be surprised at how much a neck (and a seatbelt) can stretch with a fast moving head attached to it. (Think sudden deceleration of the body, and no restraint on the head movement.) Think about it... how do people break windshields with their heads while wearing a seatbelt. Something stretches, and I guarentee it's not just the belts.


Original poster: I'd be hesitant to run a full cage in a daily driver. If you want something because you track your DD, then compromise and get a rollbar.</TD></TR></TABLE>

as an added point, all the padding in the world isn't gonna keep your neck from snapping or your head from exploding when it hits the padded bar. There's just way too much kinetic energy in a collision.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by r2x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
You might be surprised at how much a neck (and a seatbelt) can stretch with a fast moving head attached to it. (Think sudden deceleration of the body, and no restraint on the head movement.) Think about it... how do people break windshields with their heads while wearing a seatbelt. Something stretches, and I guarentee it's not just the belts.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

What? Ppl's heads are hitting windshields while wearing a belt? I find that extremely hard to believe. How close to the windshield are they sitting?

 

Get one of those small helmets the harley guys wear, and use it on your daily drive.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Get one of those small helmets the harley guys wear, and use it on your daily drive. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, one with a spike on top would be great.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by El Pollo Diablo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What? Ppl's heads are hitting windshields while wearing a belt? I find that extremely hard to believe. How close to the windshield are they sitting?</TD></TR></TABLE>

without an airbag it's not hard to believe. Usually people are stopped when their face smashes into the steering wheel though.

Anyway, back on topic. I wouldn't run a full cage on the streets, I wouldn't run a rollbar with a harness either. If you have a rollbar just use the stock 3-point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
without an airbag it's not hard to believe. Usually people are stopped when their face smashes into the steering wheel though.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have never seen nor heard about such an occurance...unless the seatbelts malfunctioned. I'm still questioning that statement.

 

Head/windshield contact while wearing a lap/shoulder belt. Not likely!

Head/steering wheel contact while wearing a lap/shoulder belt is very common.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

without an airbag it's not hard to believe. Usually people are stopped when their face smashes into the steering wheel though</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm having a real hard time believing that. From what few crash videos I've seen over the course of my life, even in high speed (40+mph) head on collisions the most I've seen is the person hit their forehead on the top of the steering wheel. I can't imagine having a properly working seat belt wouldn't prevent you from hitting the windshield.

To the OG poster I would not go any further then a very well padded AP 4 point. Nothing aft the B pillars.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr Hammond &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm having a real hard time believing that. From what few crash videos I've seen over the course of my life, even in high speed (40+mph) head on collisions the most I've seen is the person hit their forehead on the top of the steering wheel. I can't imagine having a properly working seat belt wouldn't prevent you from hitting the windshield.</TD></TR></TABLE>

in the first video it's a short woman, and her head does hit the windshield (albeit not hard enough to break it)

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags/iihs3l.avi

either way, you do move around a lot in a car crash...

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags/split6l.avi

 

Sometimes I see people flame on about this and yes it is better to have a lot of energy absorbing material near your head instead of bare metal roll cage. What gets me is absent some of the newer cars with side airbag curtains and such, what makes people think the b pillars and other hard objects in a stock car in close proxmity to the driver are some kind of noggin friendly impact zone? They are not. Increased risk with roll cage if it is close to your head? Yes.

Barry H.

 

ehh...i ran a full cage in my honda challenge h1 car...that i drove on the streets as a daily driver/weekend racer...had it padded very well...no problems here

i felt safe in it...safer in there than say an suv

 

Run a roll bar instead. Best compromise I can think of for a street/track car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by paRRRker &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ehh...i ran a full cage in my honda challenge h1 car...that i drove on the streets as a daily driver/weekend racer...had it padded very well...no problems here

i felt safe in it...safer in there than say an suv </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm glad you felt safe, but were you ever in a side impact collision? Would you let me rap a baseball bat in that same padding and hit you in the head with it? Still feel safe?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm glad you felt safe, but were you ever in a side impact collision? Would you let me rap a baseball bat in that same padding and hit you in the head with it? Still feel safe? </TD></TR></TABLE>

thats the funniest thing i have heard all day