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Head injuries in F1, and motor racing in general...

Started by RTH , Jul 25 2009 18:21

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109 replies to this topic

#101 Barry Boor

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 15:51

I took my info from the BBC common taters. I'm sure it was Coulthard who said torsion bar; or maybe E.J.

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#102 Twin Window

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 16:06

BBC common taters

Hahaha - King Edwards or Maris Pipers?

On that video showing a series of screen grabs at the start from the on-car camera it's amazing how clear it is to see given the speed, picture quality and the fact that the images have gone through so many media to end up on YouTube that way.

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#103 doc knutsen

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 21:06

OK so the average human male head and neck is 5500gms
So the difference between a head with a 'heavy helmet vs a head in a light helmet is 7500gms vs 6900 gms

Another way is to say that the 2kg helmet makes the combined weight 8.7% heavier than when in a 'light' helmet

Strikes me in the scheme of things that is not actually a huge difference, so there must be scope to add both penetration resistance as well as more internal energy absorption in to the 'light' helmet especially in view of the recent mandatory use of the Hans device..

Richard, remember that we are dealing with G forces of 50 or possibly even higher, in a sudden deceleration. In which case, a one kg difference in helmet weight adds up to 50kg, incidentally the weight of a standard cement powder sack...suddenly trying to jerk a human head out of its fastening structures. Believe me, that is a huge difference.

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#104 T54

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 19:15

"Crossle9S" has left me a message with no way for me to reply, so I will reply to him partly here:

Carbon fiber in itself is not a bad material to build helmets. An excessive amount of it can be, and this is where I believe the FIA standard to be wrong.
If indeed you need choosing between the FIA version of the helmet you are interested in (name withheld to protect the integrity of this forum), that is IMHO the best there is, and their Snell version, pick the Snell-certified lid.
Both the older design and the new one produce pretty much the same test results, the newer version allows for larger heads to fit better.
At the same time, please have these guys fitting you for a HANS as they have now many sizes and angles available depending on your physical being.
Regards,

T54

Edited by T54, 31 July 2009 - 19:16.

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#105 f1steveuk

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 19:40

I'm no expert, so correct me if I am wrong, but I agree carbon fibre, or kevlar is a terrible choice for helmet construction. Light yes, strong yes, but I repeat my belief that helmets disperse much of any impact force by cracking/splitting/breaking down. Carbon/Kevlar tends not to gradually break, and as is often seen with suspension failures (after contact) is usually extremely strong in one plane, whilst being quite brittle in an opposite one. Being very very strong doesn't always mean being very very safe!

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#106 RTH

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 19:48

This I think Steve is where the vitally important deformable liner comes in, which is meant to absorb the energy, but it is so important the helmet is not penetrated otherwise it can be steel straight in to the skull or eye.

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#107 Paul Taylor

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 21:13

No head protection can stop your brain moving about in your skull though...

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#108 D-Type

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 21:33

No head protection can stop your brain moving about in your skull though...

But, if the head protection is too stiff, which is not the same as strong, the deceleration of the skull and its contents will be greater. What is needed is progressive energy absorption. It's the same principle as crumple zones in a car.

Edited by D-Type, 31 July 2009 - 21:34.

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#109 T54

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Posted 01 August 2009 - 03:05

This is where the HANS comes into play. Watch the video in the middle of the page...

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#110 RTH

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Posted 22 August 2009 - 10:57

Massa said yesterday that he intends to be back in the Ferrari later this year at the Brazilian GP ! Rumour that Schumacher could return in a 3rd Ferrari next year if rule changes allow.