VKZ24 wrote:RogueLeader wrote:[The airbag will definitely work properly at track speeds, and anything keeping you from hitting the steeringwheel definitely helps...
I can't argue with you (intelligently) because I have no data to back it up. However since I've never seen one in a real race car one may *assume* they don't work at those speeds?
Like you said, with a proper harness the air bad won't help your head anyway.
I don't have the data to back it up either (too lazy to search) but this is what I recall. NASCAR actually looked at using Airbags (although it may have just been lip service to the safety ninnies) and concluded they are 100% not useful in a full out race car because:
1) A driver strapped in with a 5/6 point and HANS is NOT going to hit the steering wheel, and if he does the car is bent so bad that he is dead anyway airbag or not.
2) The drivers vision is blocked even only momentarily and in that moment he can lose whatever control he may have left (important in an accident like an offset frontal collision).
3) In the same vein as #2 an airbag deployment would create panic and confusion in a situation that needs as little of it as posible.
The airbag absolutely deploys quick enough to protect one from hitting the wheel at any speed (obviously it cant overcome the laws of physics, if you hit something at 150mph youre screwed airbag or not, it just may help you leave a better looking corpse), however the belt system in a race car usually wouldn't let someone come close enough so there is no reason to have it (unless you sit super close). If youre using the standard 3 point belts and doing an HPDE in your car the airbag can definitely still save your life, however the trade off is that if it catches the bottom of your helmet it could also snap your head back with enough force to shatter your spine. If you have 5 point belts this can still be an issue depending upon how close to the wheel you sit.
My personal opinion, based on what I'e read and seen, I'd only be on the track with a 5 point and I would disable the airbag. Thats the safest way to go.
Tom Lomino - Proud to be a 23x Lemons Loser, 3x Class B, and 1x IOE Winner!
Craptain, Team Farfrumwinnin - 1995 Volkswagen Golf #14
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