American scientist no relation death
History
The device was designed in the early 1980s by American scientist and researcher Dr. Robert Hubbard (1943–2019), a professor of biomechanical engineering at Michigan State University. After talking to his brother-in-law, accomplished American road-racer Jim Downing, following the death of Patrick Jacquemart, a mutual friend who was killed in a testing accident at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course when his Renault Le Car Turbo struck a sandbank, leaving him dead on arrival with head injuries, IMSA officials decided that some sort of protection was required to help prevent injuries from sudden stops, especially during accidents.  A major cause of death among drivers during races was through violent head movements, where the body remains in place because of the seat belts, but the momentum keeps the head moving forward, causing a basilar skull fracture, resulting in serious injury or immediate death.
Notable race car drivers who died from basilar skull fractures include:
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