Dr911

Don't know if this has already been posted here. If so mods please delete.

"PCA Chief Driving Instructors and Region Officials,

The number one priority of PCA's HPDE Program is track safety. A core belief in the DE program is that a person can purchase a stock Porsche and take it to the track for an HPDE weekend, after an appropriate tech inspection of course.

Some people choose to modify their cars to increase performance and others to increase safety. A popular modification made to track cars is the addition of a multi-point harness system. Starting January 1, 2019, the DE Minimum Standards will be expanded to state that if a driver uses a harness system, he or she will ALSO be required to utilize a head and neck restraint system, commonly referred to as a HANS device.

A head and neck restraint device is an integral part of the harness system. Because the rule of equal restraint always applies, if a driver uses a harness system there must also be a harness system available and used by the passenger. Thus, both the driver and passenger will be required to use a HANS device. We highly encourage all DE participants to not wait until 2019 to comply with this new minimum standard. Head and neck restraint system devices are now more affordable and easily purchased online.

The DE Committee's decision was made over the course of two years after careful review of options, conversations with DE participants and discussion of a variety of perspectives. Please pass on this information to your DE drivers and instructors as soon as possible to avoid any confusion.

As a reminder, members of the DE Committee can be found here: https://www.pca.org/national-driver-education-committee

Thank you for all your time and effort to make your region's DE program a safe and successful one. If you have feedback, please let me know!

Catch you in the Curves!

John Krecek
Great Plains Region - Porsche Club of America
Chief Driving Instructor
PCA National DE Committee Chair"

jscott82

Interesting...

I agree with the idea, but not sure how this will work..

I have a race car with Race seats and harnesses on both sides. Am I now required to provide each student with a hams and helmet( since most students helmets don't have Hans anchors)..

Veloce Raptor

Good!

Jscott, no. But it might limit to whom you can give a ride.

Matt Romanowski

This sounds reasonable to me. New auto helmets have the anchors built in and by the time someone has made the investment in seats and harnesses, the HNR is a reasonable requirement.

jscott82

I agree.. for those that choose to invest in harnesses a HANS should be part of the sysytem. Totally get that part.

But for green students especially, going for a ride to see the line, and feel how hard you can push. A ride with thier instructor is invaluable. IMHO.... So now we are going to overload the few instructors with street cars giving rides?

Driver8

Many regions offer loaner helmets to their first time participants, so it is possible they could purchase a few head and neck devices to loan. Maybe regions can even work together on a group buy to reduce the costs.

jscott82

Thinking about it. Can we offer an exception and allow instructors to take students out in green (forcing 5/10th speed) without HNR?

TXE36

Perhaps going out on a limb here I think most of us know this is the right thing to do. BSF risk is real and HANS device mitigates it. I feel as naked as I do in a street car without belts when I'm strapped into a 5/6 point harness without a HANS. I've never felt all that comfortable with a passenger strapped in to a 5/6 point harness without one while I'm driving. People who know me know I'm a professional tighwad, but the $500 or so is well spent and with the range of cost of a set of fairly cheap tires.

The real problem with this rule is dealing with newbie students and the desire to be able to give those students rides in prepped instructor cars. To me the solution isn't all that complicated. Our region already has a couple of loaner helmets - those helmets could have HANS anchors as well as a handful of loaner HANS devices for rides. HANS anchors themselves are inexpensive and can be installed easily because the required helmets already have the holes/hardware in them. I don't think loaner HANS devices for instructor rides is out of the question. To keep them from going away, paint them some hideous color.

Once somebody participates in this hobby for a length of time, the cost of safety gear is relatively cheap compared to tires, hotels, track fees, fuel and all the other costs of participation. If someone can't truly afford a HANS, they can't afford this sport.

Just my $0.02.

-Mike

LuigiVampa

+1

Instead of one more event, or one more set of tires, sit one out and buy the proper safety gear. It's that simple.

Matt Romanowski

Maybe PCA at a national level can provide them since it's their mandate? I'm sure buying a few hundred at once would have much more buying power than a couple of regions. Plus national has the funds to do it.

Driver8

PCA would not allow an exception to a Minimum Standard.

mglobe

National mandates up-to-date helmets. Should they provide them also? It's not a real burden on most regions, and it is a policy that makes sense in my opinion. How many of you who use a HANS would ride in a car with harnesses and no HANS? You can hit an oil or coolant slick, and auger in to a wall at 5/10's. I keep a spare HANS and helmet in my trailer. Regions can keep a handful of spare HANS/Helmet combos for use for rides.

mbean

Matt Romanowski

I agree it's a good idea and a good requirement. I disagree that's it is an easy expense for the regions. I can think of 4 regions right away that have a DE program at break even or a small loss. Adding $1,000 burden to them is material, IMHO.

JTT

I can tell you with absolute certainty that our little region up here in the far NE couldn't shoulder that expense.