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Monday, July 1, 2013

Fundamentals About Head And Neck Restraints

By Stacey Massey


Head and neck restraints are safety gears utilized in racing and related activities. They are employed to reduce injuries sustained on the neck and the skull in the event of an accident. The major type of injury they offer protection against is basilar skull fractures. The name of the devices is shortened to HANS, and are at times known as head and neck support gadgets or restraints.

These devices are made up of various parts that do different tasks in protecting the body. The major parts are helmet anchor, tether, and shoulder support among others. The tethers and helmet anchors are placed one on each side. The helmet anchor is attached into the helmet to hold it in position in case of impact. There are other attachment devices that helps connect the HAN system to other devices used for safety purposes.

The device is made from carbon fiber, in a U shape. The rear side of the U shape rests on the nape of neck while the arms rest along the chest. Generally, the device gets support from the shoulders. Additional support comes from the helmet and stomach protecting gadgets. It is not connected to the car safety belt, seat, or body of a driver.

The seat belt is supposed to run across the chest over the HAN equipment. The equipment is buckled at the front around the abdomen, hence it derives its support from the body of its wearer, not the seat or the car. It is made in a way that it can never come off regardless of amount of force it is subjected to.

The HAN systems serve major purposes in all cases they are applied. They are designed to limit movement of the neck in order to prevent the skull from traveling forward so fast if a crash takes place. When the velocity of the head is reduced, the force with which it hits onto the parts of a car in front is reduced, thus reducing injuries suffered.

Generally, they decelerate and retain the position of the head relative to the body. In doing this, the force from the crash is conveyed to stronger parts such as the chest, shoulders, and torso. Some of force is then diverted to the seat-belts and the seats. In many racing events, it is compulsory for every participant to wear these safety devices for them to be allowed to participate. Failing to put them on is a breach of regulations and can possibly lead to disqualification of such a participant.

The HANs are made safe to the wearers by having them fitted with sufficient insulation materials. The materials are for absorbing the shock from the user. The insulation is in form of numerous layers of padding, which are fitted in the interior side of gadgets. The gadgets are then made of strong materials on the exterior surface to prevent them from cracking in the event of an accident.

Head and neck restraints are of many different models. They can be obtained from any store that deals with safety equipment for racing cars. They are cheap due to improved production technology and higher competition among producers.




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