Equipment FAQ's

May I ask an Administrator to make this a sticky topic?

Many of you all have had questions in general reqarding equipment: helmets, restraints, safety bars, etc. As the Autocross Chair for the club, part of my duties is to help "drive" safety and competitiveness.

Helmets

Helmets are required to compete and ride. We can provide loaner helmets, but the supply and aethetics are quite limited.

Helmets must be at least DOT rated for SASCA and the SCCA. What makes the difference btween a DOT helmet and a SNELL Helmet is about 100MPH; as a rule of thumb, unless you plan to drive your car @130 or more (that's a 10-second 1/4 miles pass, or a high-speed event), you can buy a DOT approved helmet for a variety of sanctioned events.

Open Face vs Closed Face

The difference (visually) is evident: one helmet covers the entire head & face, while the other covers just the cranial portion of your head. One is easier to see through, hear through, and cooler in the heat; the other is designed to be as safe as possible.

The only note is that if you have a driver's side airbag in your steering column, and it deploys while wearing a full-faced helmet, there may be a risk of injury in the jaw and neck area. This all depends on your sitting position, angles and what-not, but it was enough to generate a SCCA Technical Advisory.

Cost

It seems that helmets range from around 40.00 to 130.00 and up. I compared prices at a Pep Boys and they offered a (black only) open-faced helmet with visor (a la Dale Earhnardt) for just under 37.00, and closed-face helmet with clear visor for just under 70.00.

Read the Instructions

Helmets must be replaced after a period of time and especially immediately after an accident to offer the best protection for your noggin.

Restraints

Safety Harnesses are not required but encouraged. They plant you better in your seat so that you are not leaning on the steering wheel.

Restraints come in a few flavors:

> "Y" type, where the shoulder belts have a common attachment point to the car;

> "H" types, where the shoulder belts have separate attachment points;

> An Antisubmarine Belt to keep your from going under the steering column (5 point vs 6 point);

> A clasp-style locking mechanism or a twist-style;

> Pull-down cinch (pull"down" from your shoulder to your waist);

> Pull-up cinch (pull "up" from you waist to your shoulders, very good for open wheel cars).

The SCCA disallows Y-type harnesses in some classes. I didn't recall a clear distinction in our rules.

Attachment Points

You can attach these restraints in basically two ways: on the floor of the car; on on a harness||roll bar.

Risk of Spinal Compression

If you attach your shoulder restraints down on the floor of your car behind the driver's seat (where your current safety belts are), you have a good risk of spinal compression in an accident. Most setups I've seen use an area in the rear of the car, or attach to a roll bar or harness bar. Assume that Spinal Compression is something you want to avoid.

In my 2000 Corvette, I found that I can attach my shoulder belts to the seat frame to avoid this risk. Find somehwere, anywhere but behind the driver's seat on the floor to attach shoulder belts.

It also seems that if you attach the shoulder belts wa-aa-ay back in the car, that this risk is lessened somewhat.

Other Dangerous Warning

Once you've strapped yourself in with a restraint system, your head and neck are the tallest fixed items in your car in a rollover accident. Unless you have a roll bar, you can guess what the risks are to your personal safety. The moral of this story, if you drive with a risk of a high speed rollover, put in a roll bar.

Read the Instructions

Restraint Systems, like helmets, have a fixed life and require re-webbing. Make sure you understand.

Other Restraints

There are cinch-locking devices for standard safety belts. These cost much less, offer some comfort and do not add any extra risk (nor extra safety) in dangerous situations.

Harness Bars || AutoCross Bars

These are basically heavy metal bars that attach to a car's B-pillars, and can be used as shoulder belt attachments. The difference bewteen the two is that the AutoCross Bar will have add some stiffness to the car for handling (and yes, they are legal, but will affect your classing). Neither replace Roll Bars and help with the Dangerous Warning, but will eliminate the risk of Spinal Compression when used as attachment points.

Roll Bars

Roll Bars come in essentially two flavors: weld-in and bolt-in.

Weld-in Bars add structural stiffness as well as safety, and Bolt-in Bars don't -- they will just save your life.

The SCCA bans weld-in Roll Bars from most car classes and the IHRA/NHRA bans bolt-in Roll Bars in almost all car classes. Welding in a Roll Bar may place you in a significantly more competitive class.

Again this can be a question of about 100MPH -- if you plan to drive your car in a manner that risks a rollover, you'd better plan for welding in a roll cage.

Think about doing something in a convertible, period.

On the street, Roll Bars have saved the lives of SASCA members at speeds lower than 30MPH.

Other Equipment Ideas

Fire Extinguishers - A fire extinguisher properly mounted can save lives. If you get one, get the sticker.

Power Kill Switch - A Power Kill Switch that can be used by someone outside the vehicle can make the difference btween an few seconds and a few minutes. And get the sticker as well.

Medical Alert Tag - If have a serious condition or medical allergy, think about carrying a tag

Emergency Contact Information

Think about making it easier in the case you're incompaticated. Your SO/friend/sherpa should know how to provide information and contact a next-of-kin if needed. I'm going to to use a badge holder (like from the airport) with a copy of my personal information, insurance, etc. when I'm in the car. It'll be easier than trying to get to my wallet of I'm trapped.

This is not a collection of all that there is. This is information for you to think about, and to take as needed. If you have any questions, feel free to contact anyone with the BOD, experienced drivers, your peers, etc.

Good Driving, Mike