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Safety Innovations Help to Protect NASCAR Drivers in Crashes
from: Maxx Sports GuidesStiff competition, overly-aggressive driving and carelessness often contribute to NASCAR crashes. Cars contending for space and position in a race have also contributed to crashes.
Survivors of NASCAR crashes often thank luck, God, and the advances in race car safety technology for still being alive.
NASCAR race cars are specially designed with safety in mind. Crashes would have worse results if it were not for the safety innovations on NASCAR race cars.
If you look at a NASCAR race car frame, you'll see it has a front clip, a middle section and a rear clip. The front clip and the rear clip are made from thinner steel tubing and designed to crush upon impact and absorb most of the force of a crash.
The middle section is designed to be much tougher, so that it will withstand the crash and provide more safety for the driver.
The main function of the race car's seat is to keep the driver firmly in place and prevent contact with other parts of the car in a crash. These seats will actually bend to soften the impact of the crash. Recent seat designs provide wraps over the driver's entire rib cage and shoulder.
Seat belts greatly enhance the race car's overall safety level. Race cars use a five-point harness made from thick, padded nylon webbing, which is much stronger than the type used in streetcars.
Added safety is provided by a head-and-neck restraint, which was developed as the result of severe head and neck trauma in NASCAR crashes.
Window nets protect the driver from crash and other debris. As well, the nets keep the driver's arms inside the car during a crash.
Innovative roof flaps prevent the cars from becoming airborne when they tumble and spin. Two roof flaps are released upon impact to minimize lift and keeping the car on the ground in a crash.
Windshields of NASCAR race cars are made of a polycarbonate material called Lexan. The soft material absorbs an impact and prevents windshields from shattering. However, this type of material scratches easily. That's why a much harder adhesive film (also as clear as glass) is used before every race and simply peeled-off later.
Fuel tanks for NASCAR race cars are designed with a steel outer layer, and a hard plastic inner layer. The inner layer is filled with foam, which can absorb an explosion that might occur. Four braces hold the fuel tank firmly. Check valves will cut off the fuel supply if the engines are separated from the car.
NASCAR crashes can't be totally prevented and eliminated. However, safety innovations on racing cars can provide a much wider margin of safety for drivers.
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