Hello everyone -

In light of several events, I wanted to start a thread about inexpensive Head/Neck Restraint products.

Obviously any form of head/neck support is better than nothing. It is my opinion that this should be required for wheel to wheel racing and stronly considered for advanced HPDE/Time Trial groups.

I think most racers are familiar with the HANS/Hutchens/Isaac devices that retail for $800-$1000. I can also see why some racers (and us cheap HPDE only guys) don't want to shell out that much.

So, following is a collection of sub-$500 devices that I have come across and my thoughts/comments. I would appreciate any feedback or additional product recommendations.

Option 1 --> Upgraded Pyrotect Professional Series collar (retail $75, http://www.pyrotect.com under Helmets/Helmet Accessories)
- This appears to be made out of much more dense foam that the el cheapo units and also appears to have a contoured fit for the front and back of most full-face helmets
- Their web site says "Collars will absorb up to 40g at any angle", I have been unable to get a graph or further information on testing however
- I would consider this to be the bare minimum and a good replacement for one of the generic foam collars, if you can afford to go on track you can afford a $75 collar and a full face helmet
- The picture on the Pyrotect web site isn't the best, Grassroots Motorsports had a much better picture in their June issue, here is the Pyrotect picture:


Option 2 --> Isaac Link mesh system (retail $295, on special for $250 right now, http://isaacdirect.com)
- The high-end Isaac systems use shock absorbers to hold your helmet upright under impact, this replaces the shocks with mil-spec parachute webbing to be more cost effective
- The system can later be upgraded to the shock absorbers if you want
- Isaac has a nice graph on their web page showing 45g impact levels dropping from 1100lbs to 400-750lbs with the Link depending on how tight it is
- This can be attached to any helmet, requires a race harness to be used


Option 3 --> Gforce SRS helmet restraint (retail $299 but requires Gforce helmet, http://www.gforce.com)
- This is similar to the Isaac in that it uses a mesh strip to hold the helmet upright
- It requires the use of a Gforce helmet that includes their mounting points
- Gforce also has some good graphs/test data on their web page showing the load reductions in a 50g impact


Technical info/system evaluation comments --> I laud Kirk Knestis' efforts to start http://www.headrestraint.org and have encouraged all manufacturers to supply test data and information. Hopefully that will clear up some of the confusion I have encountered when trying to select a system. That includes:
- It can be very difficult to compare products "apples to apples" as test methods are so widely varied (see above tests ranging from 40g to 45g to 50g)
- I have no idea how any of the impact numbers above relates to what we could reasonably expect to encounter on a typical road race course with a typical IT-type car

Right now I am leaning toward the purchase of the Isaac Link. The intro price of $245 is not much more than the $75 Pyrotect collar. I have also been impressed with the technical feedback I have gotten from the Isaac staff.

But once again, no matter what you select, I'd really urge you to select something!

Hope this helps,

- Mark


Modified by Markus at 1:07 PM 8/4/2005

 

Good Info!



I got a question: How does that thing hook up? does it hook to your harness shoulder belt? How do you get it off real fast if you need to get out of a burning car? Does that little pin on the helmet side slide out or something? or does the harness buckle fit through the opening on the other side?

BTW ">$500" = greater than $500, and I think you ment to say systems that are < $500

 

From what I understand it loops through the shoulder harness. You are correct, you pull the pins to get it off.

From all that I've read, this does seem to be a concern to some people as it is "one more step". I guess you wear the HANS device so you don't have to take it off to get out of the car (although it is bulky and it's harder to climb out then). So maybe it's six of one, half dozen of the other. I guess with either device you are more likely to be awake/alert after impact which is the main thing.

In the case that you are not conscious, I believe the EMT staff would just cut the webbing.

- Mark

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 577HondaPrelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I got a question: How does that thing hook up? does it hook to your harness shoulder belt? How do you get it off real fast if you need to get out of a burning car? Does that little pin on the helmet side slide out or something? or is the harness buckle fit through the opening on the other side?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It hooks up to the shoulder harnesses just behind your shoulders and on "your side" of the seat.

As to getting out, I can't speak to this one, but the one in Scott's car, has double-directional quick release pins. The "pins" are the thing that attach the ISAAC to the helmet. In your picture, the ISAAC "cleat" is the thing with three bolts visible, and is bolted to the helmet. The pin goes through that, in your picture, going from upper left to bottom right of the cleat.

I suspect that the black thing on the end of that pin has a pushbutton on the end of it that you just can't see...and works much like the pushbutton on, say, a ratchet to disengage a socket. With Scott's ISAAC, it disengages with both a push operation (for insertion) and a pull operation (for removal). These pins might be different.

Once you're used to having a H&N restraint on, it becomes habitual to just pull the things out of your helmet first thing.

Hope that makes sense.

 

Markus, I think irrespective of what side folks come down on the "usefulness" of the horse collars, I'd hope we'd all agree they are not in the category of a restraint. This product you mention may very well prevent some neck strains from compression but the concern the other two products are addressing may be worsened by adding this "weight" to the helmet.

Its not that they (the collars) don't have their place. I always found it invaluable for neck strain when riding in-car as an instructor and when I remember it (50%/50%) for karting, I think its great (even for those wall hits) but I have come to leave it at home when driving on a race track (saw too many of those equations that multiply the item's weight and number of g's in a high load impact).

You also might want to add the Wright Device to your list as I think there is a entry level price on that well under 500. Although going to the site (http://www.over40racing.com/) perhaps due to Jay's passing, orders have been suspended (perhaps that's not the reason however).

Also there is the White device (http://www.speedwaysafetyequipment.com/purchase.html). There used to be a video of the PE crash testing it (about 20 year old stuff IIRC).

 

The only thing that will work with street car 3pt belts is the collar though correct?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Toad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The only thing that will work with street car 3pt belts is the collar though correct?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good point. If you're doing HPDE in a street use car without a rollbar/harness this is probably your only option at this time.

- Mark

 

The Wright Device might (at face value) be functional with OE harnesses, I should think, as might others that attach your noggin to your pelvis, like the Hutchens.

(This is not a position endorsed by the manufacturers! Only my

The pin in the Link illustration is indeed a "push to release" pip pin. Isaac offers, as Karl describes, a "push or pull to release" pin. I use two of them connected by a lanyard - what we are calling the "enduro-spec" Isaac - that pulls the pins with one yank. About 1/2 second of effort required.

K

 

The pin in the Link illustration is indeed a "push to release" pip pin. Isaac offers, as Karl describes, a "push or pull to release" pin. I use two of them connected by a lanyard - what we are calling the "enduro-spec" Isaac - that pulls the pins with one yank. About 1/2 second of effort required.

K[/QUOTE]


And it works incredibly well!!!....It's great to have a racing buddy with the same H&N restraint set-up as me. I get to just jump in his car and go........well kinda.. .....

 

Are any of these going to be legal for SCCA/ and or NASA W2W racing next year? Or is the HANS device the only game in town?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Wright Device might (at face value) be functional with OE harnesses, I should think, as might others that attach your noggin to your pelvis, like the Hutchens.</TD></TR></TABLE>

There's also the one that looks like like the HANS, but extends down the spine and straps around the chest instead of being held in place by the harness. I don't remember what it's called, but somebody posted here about it a month or two back.

Ah yes, here we go: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1153413

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mattamotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are any of these going to be legal for SCCA/ and or NASA W2W racing next year? Or is the HANS device the only game in town?</TD></TR></TABLE>

afaik none of our crystal ***** is any better than yours

fwiw, the threat of having to have a 38.1 restraint next year is the only thing that keeping me from ordering an issac today

 

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

afaik none of our crystal ***** is any better than yours

fwiw, the threat of having to have a 38.1 restraint next year is the only thing that keeping me from ordering an issac today</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think Gregg Baker of Isaac says they have a 38.1 compliant setup if necessary, but he doesn't think they will have to use it. I will shoot him an email asking if you guys want me to...

 

I don't think that those offer better protection than a HANS device.

If you really think about it you can't really put a price on your life and for ~$900 you can get a HANS. I currently have a Sparco Neck wedge, and as soon as I can I will get a HANS, the neck wedge seems to be the best from all the above pictured.

 

I wonder what a system like the pictured one above would do in a side impact (either getting T-boned by another racer or hitting the wall at a bad angle). It looks like some systems would cause your neck to twist instead of move laterally, which would most definitely cause death in a serious impact. Of course, it's kinda difficult to design for side impacts and a serious one probably means death regardless...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wonder what a system like the pictured one above would do in a side impact (either getting T-boned by another racer or hitting the wall at a bad angle). It looks like some systems would cause your neck to twist instead of move laterally, which would most definitely cause death in a serious impact. Of course, it's kinda difficult to design for side impacts and a serious one probably means death regardless...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Which one are you referring to? I cannot address the Isaac Link® system pictured above but w/ the Intermediate Isaac®, which attaches to the helmet the same way, didn't twist my head in my abrupt cessation of side-ward movement (sorry, always try come up w/ ways to use words totally unnecessary to describe hitting a wall around 80 mph sideways). On the contrary actually. I have always thought that w/out the combination of cage, seat, padding and my Isaac, I would have been in significantly worse shape.

If you have concerns about it however, I would definately give Gregg Baker a call at Isaac. He's always more than happy to answer questions.

 

the original issac proved to provide significant protection in lateral impacts when tested on the sled at wayne state. The issac "link" doesn't.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Markus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Option 1 --&gt; Upgraded Pyrotect Professional Series collar (retail $75, http://www.pyrotect.com under Helmets/Helmet Accessories)
- This appears to be made out of much more dense foam that the el cheapo units and also appears to have a contoured fit for the front and back of most full-face helmets
- Their web site says "Collars will absorb up to 40g at any angle", I have been unable to get a graph or further information on testing however
- I would consider this to be the bare minimum and a good replacement for one of the generic foam collars, if you can afford to go on track you can afford a $75 collar and a full face helmet
- The picture on the Pyrotect web site isn't the best, Grassroots Motorsports had a much better picture in their June issue, here is the Pyrotect picture:

</TD></TR></TABLE>
I actually have a karting based neck brace. I've been using it for the past two years... best/cheapest way to protect yourself.

PLUS, it makes it really easy to just hang your so you can sleep

you can kinda see it here:

 

Just to follow up, I went ahead and ordered the Isaac Link system. If anyone else is considering that, I think the intro pricing is only good for another day or so.

- Mark

 

I can't believe nobody has said this, but &gt; means greater than....

On topic, I'm kind of waiting to see what the sanctioning bodies require, because I figure that it can't be long until it's mandated, and I don't want to invest $1k into the wrong system and end up with the Betamax of head and neck restraints....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by speedracer33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can't believe nobody has said this, but &gt; means greater than....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Heh, so I bought a head restraint system...even though it might appear that there isn't much in there to protect.

- Mark

 

I'd like to comment on a number of items here. I'm not an engineer, I've just done a lot of research. I've also attended a two-hour safety seminar put on by the people of Midwest HANS. Lorna Folk runs Midwest HANS, she is a head, neck & spine trauma nurse, and a fellow racer. She is a good friend of Jim Downing, creator of the HANS. I trust these people because of the information they know about head and neck injuries.

Lorna had tons of crash video, in slo-mo, that helps drive home the benefits and failures of each device on the market.

Markus stated that
Unforunately, this is not correct. The donuts are worse than nothing. They do help with neck fatique by holding your helmet up, but sled tests and video show that in a collision they will do more harm than good. In a collision, your head pushes down on the front of the donut causing the back of the donut to push up, pushing your head farther into the donut, causing more upward push of the donut and so on. Your neck becomes the fulcrum point for this pivot, until it gives out. Donuts are not head and neck restraints.

Of the other devices, the GForce SRS restraint is also problematic. It may work in a straight on collision, however, rarely ever is a collision straight on. The GForce SRS is a problem because it has a single pivot point, the one belt. The one belt can turn your head into a pendulum, swinging it side to side. This is the same reason that Y-type shoulder harnesses are not allowed. This is the protection in a lateral collision that was talked about earlier.

When in a collision, you want your safety systems to deaccelerate your motion at a safe rate, while keeping your entire body moving as straight as possible. The systems, like the HANS and ISAACs, will do this with your head. These will limit lateral movement. The ISAAC shock system will not only do this, but may also absorb some of the energy of the impact through the shock absorber.

The SRS has more problems from what I see. Sled tests and video show that in a rearward impact the first thing that happens to the head, is that it raises up. The HANS device is specifically designed to address this. The big "plate" on the back of the device is to help control your helmet's upward movement. I've not seen SRS crash video, but looking at how it is mounted to the helmet, it may actually first pull your head backward as it moves upward.

Finally, don't forget that your belts will stretch in impact. In general, the belts will stretch about 6". I have no data on it, but to me, it looks like it wouldn't take much belt stretch for that little bar on the SRS to move up to shoulder level, thus reducing head protection to nothing.

So Markus, if you take the donuts out of the head and neck restraint category, I will agree that something is better than nothing. However, if you look at crash data for the "inexpensive" devices like the Hutchins and the SRS you will see that they lower the Gs on your head in a crash, but that they do not lower them below the threshold for neck/spine damage. The only inexpensive unit that I'm aware of that will work is the ISAAC Link.

By the way, the other thing crash video shows is that in an frontal impact, the first thing your head does is compress downward, then move forward. The HANS is the only device specifically designed to guide your helmet during this time. The yoke of the HANS will distribute the helmet's load through your shoulders instead of your neck.

If any of you are in clubs surrounding Wisconsin, Lorna makes trips to the track and club meetings. You can reach her at Cell: 920-650-0018, eMail: glafolk@charter.net, http://www.midwesthans.com. Her schedule shows that she will be at the Runoffs. She does want to sell HANS devices, so all of the test data compares that product to others (with the exception of the ISAAC), however the information presented is honest and straight forward.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mattamotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are any of these going to be legal for SCCA/ and or NASA W2W racing next year? Or is the HANS device the only game in town?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If any sanctioning body is going to make a requirement for a head and neck restraint, they will surely follow the SFI 38.1 specification. The question remains as to whether or not the sanctioning bodies will require SFI certification or just manufacturer proof that it passes the test. right now, the only devices I know of that pass this test are the HANS, ISAAC models, Hutchens II and the R3.

As drivers, it's up to us to encourage our sanctioning bodies to just require passing the test. Adding the certification to the equipment means adding major expense to the equipment. As was mentioned, ISAAC does sell an SFI certified system, but you'll pay much more for it than the non-certified system. And you know what, they are the same system.

 

"The only inexpensive unit that I'm aware of that will work is the ISAAC Link."

Correct. In a big hit (frontal), this is the third-best design ever tested, after the original Isaac damper design and the HANS. It's $295.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by speedracer33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can't believe nobody has said this, but &gt; means greater than....</TD></TR></TABLE>

hey, I did!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 577HondaPrelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> BTW "&gt;$500" = greater than $500, and I think you ment to say systems that are &lt; $500 </TD></TR></TABLE>

...anyway, I wish NASA and SCCA would let us know what they plan to do for next year, if anything on making us use them.