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I've had indirect and unofficial feedback from the designer of the HANS that side wings on race seats are too far away to be of any use. There is a Sparco "add-on" side protection thing, but even this is too wide to be effective. Also, it can only take 15g loads - that is really bad! Race drivers often impact at 50g - 150g. It would snap off easily. Our necks and base of skull are extremely weak.
Something I think us Saloon racers need to bear in mind is that in a side impact, there is no crumple zone in the car - and if you hit an immovable object the G-forces are massive. The HANS has only been tested at 45degress, hence my question regarding restraining devices that are effective at 90 degrees.
To a certain extent I agree, anything is better than nothing, however looking into to it in some detail, it seems to me that some devices are just as ineffective as nothing!
I attach a pic, check it out - I don't this chap was going that quick, but his head position is alarmingly to one side.
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