Todd,

Very sad... we have been up to WGI with KPV and some others from the board and while safety is always at the forefront at the DE events, input from some of the more seasoned drivers/instructors is welcome. It is just sad that an incident like this is the catalyst for these types of assesments . Our thoughts are with the victim and his family.

 

Thanks Todd for the very thought provoking post. My condolences to his family. Very sad indeed. I will be attending my first event at the Glen in October...I was trying to decide if it was overkill for a Hans like device for my first event in a begining run group. It is clear that it is not. Thanks again for your courage in posting this. A Roll Bar, 6pt harness, Hans, Helmet, fire suit and fire extinguisher are now my minimum safety requirements.

Considering we are whipping around the track in $100K + automobiles, it doesn't make much sense not to spend an additional 3-4K on safety to save one's own life...

 

What kind of car what he driving?

 

Todd, sounds like you are a sincere individual and very safety conscious. The incident is very sad, but I hope you guys are not beating youself up, especially the instructor. I would venture to say a lot of people here own cars that far exceed our abilities to drive. Most of us realize this and realize the risk we take to enjoy our passion and to enjoy life. Instructors cannot control all variables in the equation no matter what you do. In the end, perhaps only divine intervention will save you if its your time to go. Could happen walking down stairs, crossing the street or in rush hour traffic. I would venture to say that your event along with those I have attended are safer than my daily commute. Freak incidents can and will occur and no-one is really to blame unless we, as participants and drivers, are to be faulted for our passion and desire to live life to fullest.

Several years back, a close friend and doctor with over 15 years track experience who delivered my first child got killed in a freak incident (T-Boned) at the most popular driving school in the country. They are as safety conscious as they come and this I believe is the only death at this school since its existence. He was in one of their cars and not his Porsche. I guess I am saying this only to point out that regardless as to the level of safety implimented, freak accidents are a possibility irregardless of what you do, teach, or require as far as safety gear.

The problem, if any, is that we have cars made for the street that perform at very high levels. We are fortunate not only to be able own these cars, but we are also blessed with the ability to experience this type of performance on the track. God be with you guys and the family involved.

Speaking entirely hypothetically, would a Hans type of device really make a difference with a frontal impact on a fixed object at 100 mph in a stock car with no full roll cage such as a stock Boxter. Seems like the amount of cabin crush would be huge.

 

very sad to hear that. things like this make me wonder if it's worth it to get killed by our passion. be careful out there guys.

 

yeah i was thinking the same thing arling... it seems that all the things I like have risks though so if you don't take them how can you enjoy life?

 

sure. we're actually doing it aren't we. anything could happen but maybe have a second thought from our family & love ones then u might have a totally different view.

 

Good but sad post. The PCA and other clubs that do DE should really look at changing some of their minmum safety requrements. A Snell 95 helmet and a fire extingisher really does not cut it.
KPV, can you post pricing on the neck restraint options you previously posted?
My deepest condolances go to the families of those affected by this tragedy.
Thanks,
Luis

 

as far as the head restraint options go, I believe that it has been proven that the HANS is by far the best. It's probably a good idea to never ride on the track in a car without 5 points anyway.

 

KPV, which one is the easiest/fastest to put on?

Hans Device, Isaac Device or the R3 Device?

 

i know man.. my wife worries all the time about these crazy cars etc..

 

Ohh yeah ??? Where did you get that from ? From what I can see, Hans have a problem with side impacts. The device can get knocked out of the harnesses that hold it down in front leaving you vulnerable for multi style impacts. Don't get me wrong, I was hot on Hans till I read about this issue in some racing forums. The R3 is clearly superior in my mind and SFI seems to agree. The system is independent of your cars restraint system...

 

I guess it goes to show that the cars we drive(Porsche or not) can be dangerous, even in a controlled enviornment, not to mention a public road. So sad.

 

So very sad. Another tragedy. Condolences to his family and friends.

Protect yourselves, guys and gals. If you and your car are not ready for track with proper safety gear, don't go until you've got roll-over, side- and frontal-impact protection mechanisms in place. Autocross courses are different. Usually, they're very safe parking lot or airfield courses with plenty of room and nothing to hit. Those, I'd have no concerns about. Anything else, I'd second Todd's advice and add to it with this: "Please protect yourself at all costs, you are worth every penny to us, your friends and families."

 

This doesn't answer your question, but this should not be a factor when choosing these devices as you have plenty of time to get ready before your session starts, this isn't something you rush to put on and take off.