Oct 7, 3:16 am ET
HANS Device
Champ Car drivers are most severly disabled by head and neck injuries, which are less frequent than other injuries but have devastating results. The helmets and cockpit padding help protect Champ Car drivers from direct head impacts, but the driver’s neck still allows large head motions, and it’s the neck that carries the impact of loads between head and torso.

The HANS Device supports the head and neck, and reduces the extreme head motions, in effect reducing the loads on the neck.

 HANS Device
HANS tether is attached from the HANS collar to both sides of the driver’s helmet.
HANS collar
Shoulder harness is secured on top of the HANS Device.
 
 Photo Credit: Lesley Ann Miller/LAT Photographic  
 Click a thumbnail
 for a closer look.
 The Physics
The diagrams below show the typical results from a crash dummy test, with a velocity change of 40 mph and a chassis acceleration of 40 Gs. The arrows indicate the scale of forces between the head and neck with and without the HANS Device.
Without the HANS Device
1,220 lb. neck tension
(740 lb. injury threshhold)
1,350 lb. total neck load
(700 lb. injury threshhold)
750 lb. neck shear
(700 lb. injury threshhold)
1.5 inch chest compression
54 G chest acceleration
40 G chassis acceleration
With the HANS Device
 
210 lb. neck tension
(740 lb. injury threshhold)
295 lb. total neck load
(700 lb. injury threshhold)
210 lb. neck shear
(700 lb. injury threshhold)
0.8 inch chest compression
64 G chest acceleration
40 G chassis acceleration
Paul Laguette Illustration / Copyright RACER Magazine
Source: Hubbard Downing, Inc.
© Copyright 2008 CCWS, LLC. All rights reserved
Privacy Policy