Using HANS (aka Frontal Head Restraint, FHR)

[JohnD]

I officiated at a stage rally last weekend. This year, most people in motor sport now have to wear and use a HANS device or similar (FHR), and this was the first event I had been on where that has been true. It became painfully obvious that many drivers and co-drivers were in the same boat.

My Rescue crew leader first noticed that a co-driver's helmet strap was not attached to his HANS, so we had a look at the next car's crew - and their straps were undone too! And another, and another, until we asked the Stage Commander to help, as we were holding the stage up. We were on Stage 3, not the very first, and by the time the field had gone through, we had found at least 20% of the crews weren't using their FHRs correctly. I'm sure that this was due to inexperience, as this was first rally of the year for most of them.

Drivers of 'historic' cars are not obliged to wear a HANS, pre-1968 for rallies, pre-1977 for circuits, Sprints and Hill Climbs (https://www.msauk.or...fhrguidance.pdf) but even so, I would urge you to do so. And I would be even more eager that you wear it properly! Get someone to check it for you, before you get in, and then after you are seated, at least for your first event!

John

[Colin McKay]

I started wearing one last year and had 2 incidents that came about through unfamiliarity even though I'd rehearsed putting it on several times.

First, I'd been determined to fit it without assistance so I would get used to doing it on my own and was so intent on doing it that I forgot to fasten the chin strap, only noticed when the race was over. Next time out I inadvertently unclipped one of the quick-release straps while fiddling with my collar - this was a pain to clip back on with gloves on while the rest of the field gridded up, if it hadn't clicked in at the last moment it would probably have been safer to unclip the other side as well.

Best to let someone else do it for you, and don't fiddle with it!

[BertMk2]

I was competing in a rally this weekend (2nd time using HANS), I noticed that the crew servicing next to us came back into service and there was an 'oops' observation as the co-driver hadn't connected the HANS to the helmet so there is an element of 'newness' trouble to it. Mine hadn't quite latched on properly on one occasion but I noticed that when I managed to turn my head ok when I went to shut the door. They're a lot easier to clip on when you're sat in the car and belted in than when you're sat at home on the sofa practicing clipping it on and unclipping it

I also still find it uncomfortable - once we're on a stage it's mostly ok, the only time I notice it is when I try and look over my shoulder to see if merges are clear - I can't see behind me anywhere near as well. It's a real pain at time controls though - again I can't turn my head far enough so I'm left waving my timecard at someone I can't quite see. I also end the day with an aching neck now, something I've never suffered with before. I suppose in terms of safety it's a step forward but in terms of comfort and practicality it leaves a lot to be desired.

[JimW]

Following our observations on the rally to which JohnD refers above, I have sent a note about the training/familiarity issues which this reflects to the MSA (and the Safety Officers for the next couple of rallies which we are doing).

Regards

Jim

[Heightswitch]

Add pit stop rain dances outside the car the car in other historic series and you can see how issues arise..

Formula 1 was where FHR's were developed for and whilst undoubtedly they offer safety and protection they should also be considered in the round…

I am thankful that I still can choose not to wear one in my tidgy little historic car which has a v small cockpit. limited strap room, marginal seat space, no side protection…etc etc

I think when you are safely strapped into a car for the entirety of a race then thats one thing but again in my opinion blindly applying the same rules to other competitors doing other disciplines won't always necessarily amount to a good thing.

It shows that you cannot always mandate the rules for everyone..An FHR won't always offer better protection in certain types of cars. It is a system which has to be carefully designed around all the other safety systems…

Its making a fair few quid for the safety industry this year though!!

[Mike Bell]

I can see rally drivers and co drivers having more trouble with FHRs, as they tend to remove helmets after every stage and put them back on again at start of next one. And they would usually only have each other to help make sure tethers are fitted correctly. All that would add up to considerably increasing the chances of faulty fitment? In a driver change race, IMO the danger is when the second driver isn't ready before the car arrives, and rushes to get kitted up. Pit lane marshals will no doubt be monitoring FHRs are correctly fitted before car moves off, same as they do belts. Luckily, they aren't compulsory for many of us yet, so still time to learn from the early adopters!

Having helped a few drivers connect their tethers, I soon discovered they are not all the same, and just like assisting with belt adjustment during a driver change, it needs practice.....

[DaveGT6]

My experience over the last year - my first wearing HANS, has been that the marshalls in the assembly area have been checking drivers have connected tethers. I know as I forgot early on in the season. I reckon that it becomes second nature as you become accustomed to wearing it. No different to belting yourself in - its just part of the routine.

Certainly adds to the challenge of driver changes but having worn it for a season you get used to it. Having seen some in car footage of a rallying off where the driver wasn't wearing one and the co-pilot was I'm a convert. The driver couldn't support his head after the impact and had to be assisted by his co-driver. Motorsport is dangerous, we make choices.

[Gary Milgrom]

Disclaimer: I work for HANS Performance Products, inventors and marketers of the HANS device FHR. HANS is owned by Simpson Performance Products, who invented and market the Hybrid FHR. Thank you for the opportunity of posting in this forum.

Thank you for reporting these incidents. I attach two links below, these should download the user manuals that come with HANS and Hybrid FHRs. If these do not answer your questions on using your FHR please feel free to contact me directly. FHR's are important parts of your safety equipment and can reduce injury or even save your life when used properly. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with these instructions.

Instruction Manuals
HANS Instruction Manual
Hybrid Instruction Manual

Thank you,
Gary Milgrom, VP
HANS Performance Products
info (at) hansdevice (dot) com
gmilgrom (at) teamsimpson (dot) com

[Colin McKay]

Thank you for your post Gary.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Thank you for your post Gary.

Yep - but I'm not sure about drilling holes in helmets to fit your own HANS posts!

[Gary Milgrom]

Thanks Bert. I know the FIA has guidelines in Europe for manufacturers to fit the anchors, but in Canada/USA we allow customers to do it themselves. We've found most race shops and many drivers have extensive technical experience and drilling a 6mm hole in the right place is easy for them. Similar holes are drilled for drinks bottles, radios etc. Let me know if you need any specific instruction on your application.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Gary Milgrom

Thanks Bert. I know the FIA has guidelines in Europe for manufacturers to fit the anchors, but in Canada/USA we allow customers to do it themselves. We've found most race shops and many drivers have extensive technical experience and drilling a 6mm hole in the right place is easy for them. Similar holes are drilled for drinks bottles, radios etc. Let me know if you need any specific instruction on your application.

I'm pretty sure the MSA don't allow 'home drilled' holes in helmets. I bought a new Stilo helmet with pre-fitted posts at the end of last year (my old helmet couldn't be used from this year onwards anyway) so I'm ok for now

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Yep - but I'm not sure about drilling holes in helmets to fit your own HANS posts!

I know of one person who got his brother to drill the holes for him to make sure they were in the right place. The reason he needed someone else to drill the holes was that he was wearing it when they did it.

I suspect a frontal impact isn't the thing he most needs protecting from...

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Gary Milgrom

. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with these instructions.

Instruction Manuals
HANS Instruction Manual
Hybrid Instruction Manual

Thank you,
Gary Milgrom, VP
HANS Performance Products
info (at) hansdevice (dot) com
gmilgrom (at) teamsimpson (dot) com

Thanks Gary, some very good tips, particularly crossing the belts behind the driver if there is a distance to the mounting point, buckle positions on the chest with regard to the neck, and use of side nets.

"Use 2" belts, unless you are over 200 lbs or doing over 210km/h, then you should use 3" belts." ???!!!

[Gary Milgrom]

Originally Posted by wnut

"Use 2" belts, unless you are over 200 lbs or doing over 210km/h, then you should use 3" belts." ???!!!

This is because the 2" lap belts fit a recess in your pelvis or hip (not sure) and hold the pelvis more securely in an accident. It has been proven that stopping of the motion of the pelvis is key to limiting injuries to other areas, like spine and neck. This is explained in the "15 Minutes" presentation I posted.

The comment about 3" belts for large drivers and high speeds is aimed at drag racers.

Thank You, GM

[JohnD]

Mmmmmmm, David. The MSA has been profligate with our money (FIA Rainlights anyone?) or over cautious (fuel sampling taps for all?) but in this case.....
Jim's comment agrees with my personal experience, of finding that my rather new helmet was not one of those that the manufacturers have made "FHR-ready".
My fault, but means I'm saving up for the whole kit, when I should be an early adopter, even though I race a historic.

Gary,
as I don't have an FHR yet, and so no manual to read (I could read the links you posted, but the Horse's Mouth and all that), two questions.
How much side to side rotation of the head should be possible? Enough for eye-to-eye cionatct, or not?
And, should a co-driver be easily able to look down and read their pace notes?

John

[Gary Milgrom]

John, taking your last point first, you should be able to touch the chin of your helmet to your chest. That may seem counter-intuitive (in that the head seems to be moving too far) but believe me that's how they work. I'm not sure if that will allow a co-driver to see their notes.

Regarding side to side vision, if you have an older HANS or other brand with fixed tethers, your vision is restricted. I'd guess you have about 30 degrees in each direction (L+R), just enough to see your side mirrors. However the newer (since about 2005) "sliding tether" system allows much more motion, you should have full 45 degrees each side (90 degrees total) and almost no restriction on turning your head.

Tethers can be bought in 1" shorter and longer than usual if that helps fine tune your vision. Longer tethers are not less safe because of the way the HANS moves in a frontal impact. Hopefully there's an image showing this with my post - it moves rearward compared to your torso (it's locked by friction to the belts while your body moves underneath them) and automatically takes up the tether slack. Only the HANS behaves this way.
Schroth With Without HANS 800px by garymilgrom, on Flickr[/IMG][url=https://flic.kr/p/zftGhy]Schroth Withttp://www.flickr.com/photos/14443672@N03/]garymilgrom[/IMG] https://flic.kr/p/zftGhy

[Colin McKay]

Originally Posted by Gary Milgrom

John, taking your last point first, you should be able to touch the chin of your helmet to your chest. That may seem counter-intuitive (in that the head seems to be moving too far) but believe me that's how they work. I'm not sure if that will allow a co-driver to see their notes.

Whether you,ve got a FHR on or not, your chin can't go any further so the ability to read notes will be unaffected! An open face helmet would allow more movement however.

[JohnD]

Gary,
Went to my local, excellent motor sport supplier yesterday (Road & Stage, Morecambe) to try out some FHRs. As you say, wearing a 'classic' HANS I felt that forward and downwards movement was unrestricted, to my surprise, with less but adequate side to side movement.
I also tried a Hybrid, and found it far more restrictive in both directions, especially one, because the FIA homologation label jammed under the clip that allows the strap to slide! Also, the chest strap worried me, as it seemed inevitable that it would ride up, under my armpits, when I'm sure it is supposed to sit lower down, across the wide part of the chest. Am I wrong?

My plan is to get my race car (it's also road legal) out, take down to R&S and sit in it while I try them again.

I now can better forgive the rally crews for their apparent rebellion! Fixing the tether clips is far more difficult that expected. No doubt easier with practice and use.
John

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by JohnD

Fixing the tether clips is far more difficult that expected. No doubt easier with practice and use.
John

It's far easier to fit the tether clips to the helmet when you're sat in the car and got the belts on. I'd been sat on the sofa at home practicing clipping them on and taking them off again and it was a pain in the backside (I was trying to work out how much extra time I'd need to add to our pre-stage routine to account for faffing with the clips), once we were actually in the car and belted (not tight but on) it was so much easier - it barely adds any time at all to the process.

The routine is now:

Balaclava on
HANS on
Get in car
Plug intercom into helmet
Put helmet on
Belts on (but not tight)
Clip on tethers
Check belts are properly seated on HANS
Tighten belts
Have fun

[Cliff Ryan]

Gary,

Thanks for posting the link to your video, I have been using a Hybrid Pro Rage for the last three years and recently had the tethers changed by your agent at Indy to the FIA ones.

My restraint doesn't carry the FIA certification logo, just the SFI one, which previously wasn't a problem, but now that they are compulsory in UK I will need the FIA certification label.

Can I send my restraint back to you for recertification, or do I need to buy a new one? I have emailed via the contact form on the Simpson website, but haven't received a reply as yet.

Many Thanks,

Cliff

[JohnD]

Thanks, Gary, most helpful!
John

[Tim Falce]

I don't know if anyone noticed this in the latest MSA news, It's about tether and helmet HANS lug compatibility https://issuu.com/motorsportsassocia...news_71_0215/1 Page 12

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

I don't know if anyone noticed this in the latest MSA news, It's about tether and helmet HANS lug compatibility https://issuu.com/motorsportsassocia...news_71_0215/1 Page 12

I know someone got pulled up on this at scrutineering on Saturday - tethers were not the right spec for the helmet posts. They fitted fine but the spec wasn't right so not an allowable combo.

As far as reading my notes goes I don't find it a problem - I can look down well enough to see them fine. It's just looking over my shoulder I can't do.

[midgetman]

If you buy SAH2010 or SA2015 I think that both have the threads fitted even if you don't buy the posts. Fitting those is so easy that even, well, *I* can do it.