I've read a lot on here about how most of you feel a HANS device is a must for track junkies. However, I'm not sure I would agree, assuming you have the factory steering wheel with the airbag functioning.

Am I missing something? Let's hear your thoughts.

 

Airbags will not deploy unless you have the 3 pnt seatbelt on

 

I removed my OEM steering wheel so I could use a HANS, no airbag to hit me in the helmet and break my jaw or nose.

 

That's insane! For those who choose not to wear the 3 pt, forgot or are too dumb, you think Porsche wants them to die??

 

Well, thats why this is done:
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...ing-wheel.html

 

Not true. And I have personal experience to prove it

Question answer- tough call. I certainly want to keep my side and thorax functionality. My 6-point held me in place so well that my steering wheel airbag (stage I pop) did not hit my face, and I sit close to the steering wheel due to my ultra short legs It did hit my arm and bruised it severely and also knocked my arm into the rear view mirror and broke my windshield. Hmm, now that I think about it a bit, perhaps I should remove the wheel bag...lol.

If you wear a HANS, and the car is never driven on street, then I think the wheel bag removal makes a lot of sense. However if the car is street driven, then you are removing a REALLY IMPORTANT safety device and in that case I would personally not do it.

 

you are very lucky it didn't hit you in the face dude.

 

I sit so far back, I'm not worried about the front bag wearing a helmet and I want to keep them for daily driving.

We are wearing helmets on the track, so I would not be worried even sitting closer to the wheel. If it is OK for your face to get hit by an airbag in a street accident, you should be Ok wearing a full face helmet?

 

one thing to consider is id the airbag goes off, you can't see! if you hit someone and it goes off while you're still fighting the car you'll be blind and may lose your chance of saving the car.

I was hit in the face with an airbag in a street accident and it wasn't pleasant. I'd rather have a HANS and no airbag for track.

 

Savyboy: Did you fool the system by using one of the dummy clips in the seatbelt lock to avoid the annoying alarm on track?
My understanding of the airbag system is that it is Supplimental to the 3 pnt belt and does not go active unless the belt is engaged????
I intentionally do not use the 3 pnt belt on track and live with the annoying alarm for that reason...Am I being missinformed???

 

the airbag system works with the 3pt by pre tightening the seatbelt in anticipation of the airbag going off. it WILL go off even if you're not wearing your seatbelt. Happened to me on the street when I was young and dumb and wasn't wearing a seatbelt

 

First off a huge disclaimer:
I am not suggesting you modify your vehicle in any way and in fact the airbags were placed there for your safety. All laws should be obeyed at all times. No one should use my comments as the basis for anything. They are just simply my humble, uneducated, opinion, etc...

Now you know one of the reasons why race cars have the netting inside.

Actually no.

A few things to think about; if the airbag hits your helmet under the chin (assuming it's full face) then it can push your helmet up and back as your head and body are coming forward. Not a good situation for your neck. High risk of skull and neck injury.

Say you hit the airbag square on, then your helmet (again assuming full face) gets pushed into your face; aside from skull and neck damage, your nose, teeth, cheekbones and jaw are at risk.

Of course all of the above is contingent upon force of impact.

Airbags can still deploy, regardless of seatbelt engagement.

PS
Just a thought and just mho. If it was considered safe or even ok to have an airbag while using a full face helmet, wouldn't have the governing bodies in Motorsports already made them mandatory?

As Savyboy said, his 6-point harness held him place, so much so that his face didn't hit the airbag. Does that mean he couldn't of had a base skull injury (thank God he didn't), which is what the HANS was created to prevent?

Airbags function is so that the occupants don't hit a hard surface, such as the steering (steering column), dashboard, roof and/or doors. It is not to help prevent base skull injury.

 

if you're strapped in properly with a HANS device you for sure do not need an airbag. I'd be really scared to have an on-track incident in a street car

 

Before this topic gets too far off base from my original question, let's clarify things here...

This is a street car I'm talking about. I will NOT be changing the steering wheel in order to remove the airbag. This is a car that is occasionally tracked at DE events, but is just a street car 95% of the time. The helmet I wear is a full face helmet. I have been using a Scroth Rally harness (I guess you'd call it a 4 point harness), but plan to upgrade to a full 6 point harness along with a harness bar or a roll bar.

So, assuming I've got a 6 point harness and a full face helmet, is the HANS device overkill?

 

No.