In the last 10 yrs, several drivers in several different levels of racing have died due to basil skull fractures, an injury caused when a race car suddenly stops and the driver's unrestrained head whips forward and snaps the spinal cord from the base of the skull. The Hans Device is a restraint system which teathers the helmet to the shoulders. Much publicity has been given to the drivers that have dies in Winston Cup racing due to this injury, but the fact is that short track drivers in weekly racing series have and are dying to the same injury at significantly lower speeds. This is a situation that needs addressing.
Driver safety is a highly important topic.
I have and will remain to strongly recommend to drivers at any level of our sport to invest in a 5 way seat belt system with dates no older than one year, a good 3 layer one piece driving suit, a snell approved full face helmet, and a good aluminum seat. Fiberglass seats do not provide ANY protection. Now considering what we have seen in basil skull fractures, I am recommending that all drivers consider the HANS device. But a concussion is significantly less life threatening than a basil skull fracture. A lot has been said about the HANS device.