Upside Down instructions....!

From what I've heard, most drivers that are upside down are quite lucid after ending up that way. Obviously unless you're passed out from the impact or G forces, you'll be coursing with adrenaline and probably will be processing a dozen thoughts per second. I've heard of both ways of getting out (before and after being rolled back over). Rolling a car back over to right side up is quite a violent thing as well, so the responders may opt to extract you while you're hanging there.

First things to think about are can you move, is anything obviously broken where you wouldn't want to move. Think about breathing and relaxing your body.

Next is your surrounding safety, car kill switch, is anything smoking or burning or strong fuel smells. Obviously want to not be on fire, but also not great spraying yourself with extinguisher foam/powder if you don't have to.

By now, hopefully there are frantic corner workers arriving on scene to assist you, but if you're already trying to remove yourself from the car at that point just think about what is now your floor. Most cars have a pretty empty roof pan, and a pretty strong halo cage, which makes for a pretty clear flat surface to "land on" when you unbuckle yourself.

Not really any way around it. you're gonna drop like a brick if you unbuckle yourself upside down. Best advice would probably to try and be in a tucked position or try to brace your fall against the roof with one arm while unbuckling with the other.

You probably won't black out just from hanging upside down (even your grandma on her teeter hangups can go for 5-10 minutes without issue). So try and communicate clearly with the emergency responders and work your way out.

The above linked video is disturbing.

Anyone have any idea what model car that was?

Looks like 56 seconds from the time the car came to rest until the driver got out.

Driver couldn't get his helmet out the window he eventually crawled out of (feet first), so he had to remove it (!!!???!!!).

And couldn't work the helmet strap with his gloves on, so to get out, he has to spend about 30 seconds _after_ removing his gloves to remove his helmet and get out.

That's ... ummm ... not good at all.

Question for judges: to consider the case of a rollover or other impact which would prevent opening one or both doors, is the window opening checked at tech to ensure - at a minimum - a helmet can pass through the stock window opening via at least one orientation?

Size of the window opening and ease of egress was the concern of one of my first posts, where I ask coupe / sedan preference.

None of my candidates will have that as an issue when complete - at least not for a helmet my size.

Because of that linked video, I'm revisiting that concern.

_Damn_ good thing that car wasn't on fire.

I recently watched an IMSA race and looks like they have a big inflatable bag that they use under a car as they roll it upright so that it does not plop on the ground really hard....good idea!

So a coupe. But with regard to the window opening, the driver is ... what I'd describe as a normal American adult male physically past their prime; which, like me, now, includes a bit of comfort padding around the middle ;-). So his body is outside the car - which is great - but he can't get the helmet out the f'n window??!!??

Comment by the video poster indicates he lost it on the outside of turn 3 at Roebling, and 'turn 3 is off camber on the outside'.

According to the map, going off at that turn puts you right next to the paddock and RV hookups, which explains the cheering, and I'm guessing the wheat colored lines are protective barriers:

This ^

Zacks, not really a choice there. Watch the video.

Let me repeat:

"Looks like 56 seconds from the time the car came to rest until the driver got out.

Driver couldn't get his helmet out the window he eventually crawled out of (feet first), so he had to remove it (!!!???!!!).

And couldn't work the helmet strap with his gloves on, so to get out, he has to spend about 30 seconds _after_ removing his gloves to remove his helmet and get out."

Not good.

EDIT:
And now I'm trying to decide whether, in the above case, if there _was_ a fire, whether that situation would be survivable.

I respectfully disagree in that he _was_ able to get his _helmet_ through the driver side window opening, but wasn't able to get a second shoulder through (the rest I agree with).

Hans, window net, cutoff switch, seat bolsters, steering stalk, debris outside - doesn't matter, he changed direction.

Also: I didn't originally notice, but he seemed to be struggling physically enough that he opened his visor for air. So that took WAY too long for him.

The more I look at this, the more I think - right side up, or upside down - doesn't matter. Exit needs to be clean, and to me, that means _both_ front windows, including the path to the passenger side. I'm going to look at the dash and tranny tunnel of my primary candidate again with this video in mind.

It didn't read as if you had read what I wrote; I'm frequently long-winded (or verbose), so I'm used to people skipping over my opinion ;-)

The car was racing at a closed track; they have safety rules including cages and seats, and likely can also race in at least some open series.

I don't remember any Lemons rules about getting out of a rollover; I attended a rookie and a driver's meeting, but it was years ago. I'm with you, though, if the car is upside down *and on the grass, not the track*, I think getting out early is prudent. *On* track is a different case - given that other cars could be driving by at speed.

"On fire" is different.

I'm probably spending too much thought on the really bad potential of this. Most collisions don't result in fires.

But criminy, not being able to get - at least the helmet - through the second window opening, without taking off my gloves to loosen the strap ... frankly, scares me.

Push come to shove, I'll get my belly through the opening like a (NYC/Texas/Florida, fill in your fav) cockroach runs under a stove.

But the helmet with its strap, and my skeletal structure, is different. Those window openings need to be large enough to get out before they get to the track.

And - my opinion - any window opening that doesn't allow at least a helmet out - with the door closed - should fail tech.

I guess that's another good argument for stripping the interior; I'll be able to get the cage tighter to the edges, which I think will make it easier to get out.

I apologize for the thread drift, but this is good information for me to consider before I measure for the cage.