Fred H

We have just finished outfitting my sons 944S2 and my 993 with rollbars and Sparco six point harnesses in preparation for an upcoming driver ed. My sons car is using stock seats and I am using factory sport seats.

I would like to purchase sternum straps(preferred) or halo straps to provide additional stability for the shoulder belts to prevent them from sliding off in the event of an "adventure". Does anyone have recommendations on which setup is best and where they can be purchased?

Thanks,

Fred <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Fred, I was just in OG racing yesterday and they now have a sternum strap that will fit on any harness. It is a simple loop with a big buckle. Tey said they are selling a lot of them. I hear the harness halo workds well too, but I have never seen one. I think someone in CA sells them.

I guess my questions would be this: you went 75% of the way to the safety goal with harnesses and rollbars - why not finish the job and use proper seats while at the track? You did mean roll bars and not harness bars right?

E. J.

Fred H

EJ,

Thanks for the info...I'll give OG Racing a call this morning. You are absolutely right about the seats completing the process. Right now the cars are 98% street. As we increase DE and autox activities, the seats will be our next investment. The sternum straps are an interim step.

We are in fact using roll bars. My car has the DAS bar and we built a bolt-in rollbar for my son's car following SCCA and PCA guidelines. It was a fun father-son project.

Give me a ring if you come through Central Florida.

Regards,

Fred <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

924RACR

Sat through a great, wonderful, exhaustive presentation by the Dr. at Wayne State here in Detroit who does all the crash testing of race cars and harnesses, HANS device, etc. - though I unfortunately forget his name time and time again.

The sternum strap was invented to prevent what was though to be the risk of the sternum separating in a head-on impact. What was found to happen in actual crash testing on the sled was not the expected effect of the body "squeezing" through between the shoulder straps. Rather, the inertia of the arms causes the body to essentially wrap around the harnesses, which become centered in a sort of "pit" in the center of the chest, upon impact. Therefore there is no risk of sternum separation from this type of impact, from a properly adjusted harness.

I apologize, I do not remember what he said could cause sternum damage.

Important point, having a latch or strap in the sternum location can create a potential for damage/trauma to the windpipe/throat in an impact _if_ the body slides through the straps enough such that the sternum strap can slide upward and catch the throat. Again, this is a possibility, not a guarantee, and proportionate to how the straps are worn/adjusted.

I got a 6-pt harness w/ sternum buckle before the presentation (at a Detroit SCCA meeting). After the meeting, and seeing the crash video, I stopped buckling my sternum strap. I'd rather risk a broken sternum, though I do not believe there is any risk of this based on the footage seen, than risk crushing my windpipe and potentially being unable to breathe.

YMMV, do what you will when you get behind the wheel, only something to consider - just don't hit me or blame me for giving bad advice!!!

E. J. - 993 Alumni

If you can say one good thing about Earnhardt's tradegy, it's that there has never been a more focus on the subject of racing safety. And it's nice to see that it is filtering down to the grassroots level. There are a lot of SCCA guys wearing Hans devices even before they are mandated by the FIA for F1 - that's a good sign. I appreciate the thoughts on the sternum strap and that logic seems pretty good.

I guess after working in NASCAR for 3 years it's nice to see focus on safety finally - in all types of competition.

E. J.

buckdr1

Good Thread- We too( my gal & I) started w/ safety 1st- New "track Pads"/Fluid/ DAS roll bar/Recaro SMG's/ 5 pt Simpsons'. What might the Good DR have said about neck "pads"??

'91 C2 G. Red-(Now having run 2 DE's, have had the suspension done-What a difference! Wheels & Tires will be on -in time for 1st trips @ Pocono later this month <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

Matt

I've always thought a proper sternum strap is a reasonable interim measure, provided you have an effective sub belt, as noted above. I used that setup for a short time before installing race seats and felt fairly okay about it. (I wouldn't use a harness without a rollbar, though).

Dunno about the OG sternum strap described above, though. Seems to me that if it's not securely stitched to the belts it will want to slide down, particularly in an impact, because the belts converge at the bottom. I don't think I'd try that one.

Buckdr1 - enjoy Pocono. Wish I was going but I can't make it this time. The CVR spring event there was a lot of fun. Be sure to sign up for the dinner -

Matt

SundayDriver

Don't assume something will slide because it is not fastened. The forces in an accident are so high, the things (like a sliding sternum strap) get pinned in place. I know of a case where a driver was wearing chaing around their neck in a race car accident. The shoulder belts pinched the chain and as his body went forward the chain cut 1/2" into his neck.

Sternum injuries are often the result of the helmet hitting the sternum and breaking it. Happened to a Spec Miata driver at Laguna and he was wearing a Hutchens or the Simpson equiv (I forget which). He now has a HANS on order.

Matt

[quote]Originally posted by Mark D - TT Alumni:
<strong>Don't assume something will slide because it is not fastened. .</strong><hr></blockquote>

Agreed. I'm not certain it would slide down. But I'm not certain it wouldn't, and under the circumstances (crashing) that doesn't seem nearly good enough.