HANS Worked for Alonso

[Snrub]

"The facts of the accident were that after a relatively light impact with the wheel on the circuit, of around 4.5g, the accident data recorder indicated the first impact with the wall was a 35g lateral and 35g longitudinal impact, followed by a second side impact of 60g. When you consider that our tests are conducted at 40g, that shows these were very big impacts. However, Fernando has suffered absolutely no problems with his neck, which is unusual in an accident of this magnitude." - Pat Symonds
http://www.itv-f1.com/news/news_story/15030

What do you guys think now? I tended to think F1/drivers made too big of a deal about the Hans. It works.

[JimW]

What do you guys think now? I tended to think F1/drivers made too big of a deal about the Hans. It works.

It would be nice to see some real scientific and medical evidence. There have been plenty of stories before about drivers who survived nasty impacts like this without HANS. The statistical analysis of small numbers of events (and just think how very, very few drivers suffer cervical spine damage) is tricky and doing double blind tests not really feasible.

For example many drivers wear these sponge rubber horseshoe collars between their helmets and shoulders. Last year sometime I read a story which suggested that for some people/accident combinations these might cause trouble by altering where the head was trying to rotate around.

And why not air bags?

Regards

Jim

[chezza]

I think that it is good that we have finally had some good reports about HANS, however I think that we need to give it a bit more time before we decide if its as good as it should be.

[MichaelH]

It has been suggested that without HANS Alonso would have been killed.....if that's the case all I can say is...thankyou HANS!

[Evilsenna]

I don't think Alonso could have been killed, Stephane Sarrasin had a crash similar to Alonso in 1999 at faster speeds since it was dry, he walked away...

But every person is different...

[Jay]

I wouldn't say it saved his life, but it might have saved him some kneck pain.

HANS works and it's been proven time and time again since it was first introduce to Cart ovals in 2000. And I'm pretty sure it did save Mauricio Gugelmin's life when he had a horrendous crash at the Texas Motorspeedway practice.

I think certain F1 guys were just being babies about it. When push came to shove and they were forced to use it, all of the sudden nobody had all of the problems they innitially said would happen. It's in the FIA and Formula 1's best interest to see that driver fatalities are rare to non-existant so it was probably a good move.

[RaceFreak]

JimW:
Airbags......

That's a pretty good idea. FIA'll never think of it...

With all the troubles Rubinio is having with HANS, I am kinda surprised he or Ferarri didn't suggest it. Couldn't be that expensive.

[JimW]

And why not air bags?

Well my question was a bit light-hearted because I assume some of the better brains in the business have considered this and said "no or not yet" for good reasons. But it would be interesting to know why?

Having seen airbags go off in a racing car was a bit weird. (BWM "minis" as a support race in Australia in 2002).

But you would think that a confined F1 cockpit with structures a close but regulated distance away would be a good start.

Reminds me of an SF story where air bags for skate boarders played quite a supporting role (sorry .)

(Damm, can't remember the title, can't find the book. And that sentence is perfectly logical if you knew my mind and understood how the heaps of books round me were ordered!)

Regards

Jim

[Emfa]

But every person is different...

... and so is every accident.

Does it really matter if the evidence is anecdotal or emperical if the guys are walking away from accidents? Seems to me that the benefits outweigh any concerns that have been raised so far.

[Armco Bender]

He was lucky the wheel he hit didn't pop up and hit him the face,HANS wouldn't have been much use to him then.Maybe he also needs glasses so he can see the yellow flags.

[paulzinho]

I don't think people doubt that it works, its just that in some situations it can be a hinderence, just as it can be benefit in others.

[Nicholas]

Wearing glasses must've helped Ralfie baby

Would air bags be too big to fit in the F1 steering wheels? For now the HANS device would do, but I remember reading that Mclaren always pad their steering wheels after Mika Hakkinen's accident in 1995.

I suppose it also helps prevent the driver from doing himself in if he goes mad after yet another engine failure

[avsfan733]

Originally posted by Armco Bender
He was lucky the wheel he hit didn't pop up and hit him the face,HANS wouldn't have been much use to him then.

I think that6 was my Immediate thought when the whole thing happened. I can't believe that the HANS wouldn't have helped in a neck strainer like that if it really works, to bad there is no real way to tell