Helmets in Road Cars?
Would it be worthwhile to start implementing the mandatory use of helmets in road cars, just as we have done with seatbelts?
Each time I see or hear of an injury, or worse, a fatality in a motor vehicle accident, I am often shocked at how minor the collision seems compared to some of the messes I have witnessed on a race track. It’s mind boggling to watch someone slide a car into a concrete wall at over 100km/h and then, apart from a little soreness, walk away relatively unharmed.
I’m often asked why I would want to do something crazy like driving race cars but in all honesty, I am a lot more concerned when driving on the public roads than by tearing around a race track. So why is it hard to expect the same 100% commitment/focus from all drivers on the public roads as it is from drivers on the race track?
We are already banning cell phones, what if we took it a step further and completely isolated the driver from all other passengers (distractions) in the car? This means the driver would have nothing to do except, wait for it… Drive the car!
When I climb into a race car the first thing I have to do is ease my way into a specially designed seat which has supportive sides that extend all the way up to your head to prevent lateral body movement in the event of an accident. Then I click into a 5 or 6 point safety harness, make sure my helmet is tight, and away I go.
Niverville professional racer, David Richert, buckled into a safety harness with helmet on tight.
Apart from seeming a little inconvenient, what would be the argument against implementing such safety regulations in road vehicles? Inconvenience in my opinion is no longer a legitimate excuse anyway, as evidenced by the airline industry which has mastered the art of inconvenience (to the extreme) in the name of safety. And it’s amazing how many people, although a little perturbed, accept the stringent safety guidelines when flying as long as it’s being done for our safety.
Helmets have been proven to save lives when riding a bicycle, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc… could they not also save lives in road cars?
