Rib injuries

[Langers]

Not a good year to be a ribcage in Australian motorsport. Lago, Weeks, Pye, Flack, Ostberg. Courtney too, but that doesn't count, also Lowndes at SMP late last year.

Have we now reached the point where the cars themselves are so strong that it's the squishy organic bit between the steering wheel and seat that has to absorb more energy in a crash than it can handle?

[ford71]

Not about the ribs, but I couldn't help but suss out the gear shift and bracketry near the left leg of each driver throughout the weekend

[PVDA]

When HANS Devices came in there was a jump in Collar Bone breaks BUT a collar bone heals nicely and isn't fatal but a broken neck on the other hand.........

The Aussie Racer crash I can understand the injuries but there needs to be a long look at the V8's as something might be able to be done to reduce the impact injuries.

[Umai Naa]

I'm surprised greater protection from the gear shift isn't there. Even in the Erebus cars with the E-Cell, the left leg is still pretty vulnerable.

Mr Courtney's accident the other year with Premát, where the broken part of the roll cage lacerated his leg, didn't prompt a re-think of driver safety at all. Mr Walkinshaw suggested it, but nothing ever came of it.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by PVDA

When HANS Devices came in there was a jump in Collar Bone breaks BUT a collar bone heals nicely and isn't fatal but a broken neck on the other hand.........

The Aussie Racer crash I can understand the injuries but there needs to be a long look at the V8's as something might be able to be done to reduce the impact injuries.

The guy that designed that Aussie Racing car that Flack was in should be very proud of his work! The builders too! WOW!

Should the seat brackets just have a little more give for the ribs?

Difficult to organise.

Agree with Ford71 above regarding the bracketry! Thought exactly the same.

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by ford71

Not about the ribs, but I couldn't help but suss out the gear shift and bracketry near the left leg of each driver throughout the weekend

I understand after the weekends incident and speaking with the guy at RBR their are a number of teams looking at ways and means (shielding) to prevent the legs incident which also effected CL previously.

[ford71]

Good to hear.
I can't remember the incident with CL, can you recall when/where that occurred?

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by ford71

Good to hear.
I can't remember the incident with CL, can you recall when/where that occurred?

Im unsure which incident it was, but didn't he have some rib injury or so last year?

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

I understand after the weekends incident and speaking with the guy at RBR their are a number of teams looking at ways and means (shielding) to prevent the legs incident which also effected CL previously.

Maybe using the AMG safety cell seat, it seems to constrain the legs in the seat a lot more than the other seats used in the COTF

[ford71]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Im unsure which incident it was, but didn't he have some rib injury or so last year?

That's right, he did have sore ribs for a round or two.

Trying to recall any major offs he had, but coming up blank.

Was it something he did away from the track?

[richie17]

This just in, Scott Pye did fracture a rib after all.

Link.

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by ford71

That's right, he did have sore ribs for a round or two.

Trying to recall any major offs he had, but coming up blank.

Was it something he did away from the track?

No it was once of his "offs" I believe (accident)

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Bell_End

Maybe using the AMG safety cell seat, it seems to constrain the legs in the seat a lot more than the other seats used in the COTF

EXACTLY he did mentioned an AMG Cell

[Langers]

Originally Posted by Bell_End

Maybe using the AMG safety cell seat, it seems to constrain the legs in the seat a lot more than the other seats used in the COTF

Looking at some photos of the E-Cell, it's not the be all and end all for leg protection. Still more can be done there.

At the end of the day, driver safety for V8SC will always be a bit of a compromise for the endurance races given the requirement for relatively quick driver changes, unless there is a change in the approach to mandate minimum put stop times.

[Langers]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Im unsure which incident it was, but didn't he have some rib injury or so last year?

Into the wall at Sydney Olympic Park

[Langers]

Waiting for the first driver to turn up with superkart-style rib protection.

[Woolley]

The seat is a good option, providing a soft barrier between the leg and the gear lever - it's an obvious place for a fairly simple solution. A more wrap around seat makes extraction harder, of course, although I can't remember if the AMG seat becomes it's own extraction device?

Rib injuries are the obvious next problem as the chest takes a huge part of the stopping force in a frontal injury. Making sure your seat belts are tight enough can help, depending on the type of impact.

[ford71]

Originally Posted by Langers

Into the wall at Sydney Olympic Park

Thats right, Thanks!

http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/c...dney-500-crash

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by PVDA

When HANS Devices came in there was a jump in Collar Bone breaks BUT a collar bone heals nicely and isn't fatal

It absolutley can be. Subclavian artery lacerations bleed like stink.... plus, you always have to worry about pneumothoracies.

Not common, no, but, they are absolutely possible.

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Langers

Looking at some photos of the E-Cell, it's not the be all and end all for leg protection. Still more can be done there.

At the end of the day, driver safety for V8SC will always be a bit of a compromise for the endurance races given the requirement for relatively quick driver changes, unless there is a change in the approach to mandate minimum put stop times.

The gent at the race track did say that some teams/builders etc were looking at encapusulating the diver more for safety

[Langers]

Originally Posted by Woolley

I can't remember if the AMG seat becomes it's own extraction device?

Certainly does not. This isn't a single seater... E-Cell is installed through the windscreen aperture.

[Langers]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

It absolutley can be. Subclavian artery lacerations bleed like stink.... plus, you always have to worry about pneumothoracies.

Not common, no, but, they are absolutely possible.

Exactly. I'm not particularly fussed about Mostert's broken leg in and of itself, but the fact that the same mechanism of injury could just as easily have resulted in a femoral artery bleed is deeply concerning.

[Umai Naa]

Yep, spot-on.

It crossed my mind as well. You see in a lot of other catagories with a largely bespoke bodyshell/chassis, that most of the gearshift and swaybar assemblies are covered.

[GTRMagic]

How Lucky Was Damien Flack??

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Langers

Certainly does not. This isn't a single seater... E-Cell is installed through the windscreen aperture.

Thank you, that's what I thought, but couldn't find it anywhere.

This, then transfers the problem, because it's a swine to do an extrication from a wraparound seat. The hope is, of course, that the added protection makes it less likely you're going to have to.