Is a neck brace worth considering

[huwdm]

Racing in the welsh sports and saloons for the first time and wondered what people think of a neck brace.

[BertBert]

Not sure if you mean a HANS or one of those foamy things. Personally, I wouldn't race without a HANS.
Bert

[huwdm]

I wondered if the foamy things have any benefit at all.

[Glyn84]

There's another thread on here somewhere when a guy had a large shunt without any protection and spent a long time having physio. He's since had larger shunts with a neck brace and has been fine so they must do something, but I don't think they are ever intended to be a cheaper alternative to HANS.

I raced with a neck brace last year and they feel much better than nothing, but I saved up and bought a HANS device over the winter.

[Henry Fiddleton]

I kart using a foam neck brack- has saved my from a fair bit of whip lash.

A couple of times I have forgotten to wear it, and have noticed my neck took more of a battering.

Will buy a HANS when my race car belt angle works, and money allows.

HF

[stinkysteve]

Save the money from buying a foamy thing and get a Hans when you can afford it.

i had a head-on shunt last year, and i grew an inch and a half as a result. Lots of neck pain for at least 6 months.That was without Hans.

i won't race without Hans again.

[bqf]

Dead simple this one.

Neck brace better than nothing, and very cheap.

HANS almost obligatory, not cheap.

If you can afford a HANS, even the cheaper one, then buy it. If you absolutely can't see your way to one, buy a neck brace and start saving for a HANS.

[noneedtolift]

bqf said:

Dead simple this one.

Neck brace better than nothing, and very cheap.

HANS almost obligatory, not cheap.

If you can afford a HANS, even the cheaper one, then buy it. If you absolutely can't see your way to one, buy a neck brace and start saving for a HANS.

This.
AFAIK there are cheaper HANS devices on the market now. Money well spent - if it is a no go I guess the neck brace is better than nothing.
Have fun in the welsh sports and saloons. Raced there some 10 years ago whilst at Uni. It's ggod fun!

[tapkaJohnD]

I got a stiff, sore neck a few years ago. Not related to a shunt, but the corner Gs were painful.
A soft collar sorted it and I've worn it ever since.

JOhn

[taffyracer]

I would never race without a HANS, never ever again, I bought one in 2006 after seeing a fellow racer crash, he banged his head on the steering wheel and swallowed 5 teeth and have wore one since, except for 1 race in 2008 where i was rushing and couldn't get my HANS clipped on so removed and then promptly crashed, it took 2 years and about 2k in Physio to recover entirely from the whiplash I sustained.......this is very very simple, buy one, if you can't afford a HANS then miss a race but do not think for 1 minute that those foam thingies are a cheap alternative, they will do little to nothing if you crash at anything over pitlane speed in a car, Karting is different

[huwdm]

Anyone want to sell me a used HANS device please pm me.

[Rude-boy]

bqf said:

Dead simple this one.

Neck brace better than nothing, and very cheap.

HANS almost obligatory, not cheap.

If you can afford a HANS, even the cheaper one, then buy it. If you absolutely can't see your way to one, buy a neck brace and start saving for a HANS.

This.

I am slightly surprised that it isn't mandatory by now given that most above stock hatch level have them.

[Rude-boy]

huwdm said:

Anyone want to sell me a used HANS device please pm me.

No. No. No.

IMO a used HANS is as good as a used helmet or belts. You just don't go there.

[tristancliffe]

The foam collars encourage your helmet (and hence head) to be prised off your neck, rather than rotating around your neck.

I would say that they are, overall, detrimental to safety. Use nothing until you can afford a HANS device (new), and try to avoid crashing until then.

[BertBert]

From a quick google (http://www.krjraceproducts.com/services/default.aspx) it seems that HANS devices can be re-certified. I certainly don't think they suffer the same way as a helmet might in an impact as they don't absorb impact in a way a helmet does. Mind you they transfer a good deal of it to your chest in a head on impact! My bruises lasted nearly as long as the bones I broke took to heal. Mind you my neck was right as rain, no whiplash at all.

BB

[bqf]

tristancliffe said:

The foam collars encourage your helmet (and hence head) to be prised off your neck, rather than rotating around your neck.

I would say that they are, overall, detrimental to safety. Use nothing until you can afford a HANS device (new), and try to avoid crashing until then.

Sorry bud, but when it comes to motorsport safety you can't go around spouting horsest like that. A properly fitted helmet does not move on the head. The gap it leaves between the back of the helmet and the lower upper part of your lower back is where a neck brace fits. Your belts are then run over the neck brace to stop it moving whatsoever while you are in the car.

In the event of a heavy frontal/side collision the neck brace (and to a much more effective extent, the HANS) prevent your head from snapping backwards too far and causing a Basal Spinal fracture, which usually results in instant death (Dale Earnhardt one of the most famous drivers to succumb to this).

Neck braces ARE NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, detrimental to safety.

[tristancliffe]

bqf said:

Sorry bud, but when it comes to motorsport safety you can't go around spouting horsest like that. A properly fitted helmet does not move on the head. The gap it leaves between the back of the helmet and the lower upper part of your lower back is where a neck brace fits. Your belts are then run over the neck brace to stop it moving whatsoever while you are in the car.

In the event of a heavy frontal/side collision the neck brace (and to a much more effective extent, the HANS) prevent your head from snapping backwards too far and causing a Basal Spinal fracture, which usually results in instant death (Dale Earnhardt one of the most famous drivers to succumb to this).

Neck braces ARE NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, detrimental to safety.

Sorry "bud", but look where the foam goes. It sits underneath the helmet. So if your helmet is 'snapped' back, instead of moving backwards/sideways/forwards, it pivots around the leading edge (in whatever direction), applying an upwards forces to your neck. Instead of the HANS device (which reduces any loads on your neck), it does the opposite, and magnifies them in a potentially fatal direction.

I would never EVER E.V.E.R wear one unless I was trying to kill myself.

[bqf]

tristancliffe said:

Sorry "bud", but look where the foam goes. It sits underneath the helmet. So if your helmet is 'snapped' back, instead of moving backwards/sideways/forwards, it pivots around the leading edge (in whatever direction), applying an upwards forces to your neck. Instead of the HANS device (which reduces any loads on your neck), it does the opposite, and magnifies them in a potentially fatal direction.

I would never EVER E.V.E.R wear one unless I was trying to kill myself.

So, neck braces are now potentially lethal then?

You are a fking ahole. And you can have as many comebacks as you like, because I wont be drawn into a discussion with someone who is clearly completely mental.

[huwdm]

Thanks for all the info. I have one more thing to add and I really hope I am not fuelling the fire here but there are alot of neck braces for bike racing, particular Moto cross. Some are CE approved. I am not suggesting these are suitable for club racing but any thoughts welcome as they appear to offer protectin against similar injuries to those discussed here.

[DSM2]

bqf said:

tristancliffe said:

Sorry "bud", but look where the foam goes. It sits underneath the helmet. So if your helmet is 'snapped' back, instead of moving backwards/sideways/forwards, it pivots around the leading edge (in whatever direction), applying an upwards forces to youSr neck. Instead of the HANS device (which reduces any loads on your neck), it does the opposite, and magnifies them in a potentially fatal direction.

I would never EVER E.V.E.R wear one unless I was trying to kill myself.

So, neck braces are now potentially lethal then?

You are a fking ahole. And you can have as many comebacks as you like, because I wont be drawn into a discussion with someone who is clearly completely mental.

There is an ahole on this thread but it ain't Tristan.

Keep the neck brace for long flights and buy a HANS, which incidentally stops the head going FORWARDS and causing BSF.

If you can't afford a HANS you can't afford to be racing, do yourself and others a favour and stay off the track.


Oh, and it's Basal or Basilar Skull Fracture not Spinal.

Edited by DSM2 on Thursday 15th March 21:43

Edited by DSM2 on Thursday 15th March 21:45