Hans Device

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by JimW

Principally because of the belts.

In a race-prepared vehicle your are secured hard with belts which stretch less (wider and thicker). So you don't hit the steering wheel.

The human body, properly restrained, can withstand huge accelerations. A lap and diagonal belt is nothing like as good. So you have to have the car structure do more of the energy absorption.

That's the simple version anyway.

Regards

Jim

Road going cars allow the belts to stretch somewhat and the air bag helps slow the body down in a crash. The road car colapses some what in the crush zone, All these slow or reduce the energy transfer of the crash, which transfers less energy to the body.

vs

Harness holding a body in a solid and ridged attached race seat, inside a race car with roll cage does not absorble energy, which in a crash transfers that energy to the body. YES the body is held fermily in the race seat, HOWEVER, internal organs, are only held in place by thin tissue, which in a hard impact still move, inside the human body, and can tear. This sudden impact causes internal to move quickly, and in some cases massive internal bleeding, yet there is no evidence of damage on the out side of the body, untill the blood ( hemetoma) forms near the skin.

In short, do what you can to avoid a crash, spin the car, turn sideways to slide along the object instead of going head into the object. what ever you can to change the impact angle and deflect that energy transfer.