random info and thoughts about driving with a full cage on the street

[cdlong]

there's some debate on how safe it is to drive on the street with a full cage without a helmet. see this thread for an example. http://forums2.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=173941&highlight=cage+street
i was reading the march issue of C&D, there's a tech column in the back that talked about interior safety testing. it said all cars are subjected to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 201 is a test in which a head-shaped object is banged into almost every spot in the interior where someone's head could hit, at 15 mph. the resulting acceleration is used to calculate the head injury criterion (HIC), and that number has to be less than 1000

so the question is what would a impact with a properly paded cage yield? probably within limits if you consider other areas like the A pillar are within limits. the only concern i would have would be that since the cage is so much closer to your head there's less time for decel before the impact. the test might read the same or better but real world accidents might yield something different.

thoughts?

[pwhitersxs]

This is definitely a good topic that has a lot of anectdotal evidence attached with it. I am sure if there was an extreme amount of padding, I don't see how a roll cage could hurt. Usually with a roll cage, the driver will have a decent set of harnesses which work better than normal seat belts. My only concern with rapid deceleration would be neck injuries. They could be quite severe.

Most people that argue against roll cages do so because of trauma due to a bar. Which it can happen, especially for a tall person. If an extreme amount of padding was used, this might actually provide a softer cushion versus the impact that could have been without a roll cage. Although, what are the odds of an impact where a person has contact with the roll cage? I don't think enough people drive roll cages on the street for there to be anything but anectdotal evidence.

[Bumnah]

last time i was in a car with a full cage I was wearing a helmet. with the overly stiff suspension, and being on a nice smooth track surface, i could hear my helmet hitting the roll cage bars. wearing the helmet brought the edge of it closer to the bars, but only 2 inches or so. without a good restraint system you can easily hit your head against the bar.

it really doesn't seem safe to drive your car with a cage in it, and no helmet.

[pwhitersxs]

What kind of belts were in the car?

[Terrh]

put roll cage padding where your head can hit. That'll be softer than the pillars in your car.

It really depends on the car and the cage - every one is different. Some I'm not sure I'd trust even with a helmet - others (especially with a 5pt harness) would have to be bent pretty severely to contact my head.

either way - let common sense be the judge for you. If it looks dangerous, it probably is.

being closer to the cage might not be a hazard- it may improve things.

if your head is touching it then it's going to decelerate WITH the bar - not impact the bar at a very different velocity.

[turboale]

If your car needs a roll cage and you have the means... why on earth would you not have harnesses too?

[cdlong]

if your head is touching it then it's going to decelerate WITH the bar - not impact the bar at a very different velocity.

that's true, but it's unlikely that there would be one impact. especially in a roll over, your head would swing back and forth and bounce of the bar.