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ShareMumbai: Armaan Ebrahim has not only recovered from a stiff back and a few bruises but is also looking forward to the Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch on July 19. And this only a week after the Indian driver was involved in a 250km/hr crash that completely wrecked his car. Armaan's accident and the fact that he came out of it unscathed has once again brought into focus the high safety standards that are maintained in modern day races.
While composite materials used to build cars and modifications in circuit layouts have made the sport safer, it is the introduction of the Head and Neck System or HANS device in 2003 that has dramatically reduced the risk of serious injuries to drivers in case of an accident.
Armaan said that the HANS device was a crucial factor in driver's safety. "One of the reasons why race car drivers feel absolutely safe is because of the HANS device. It ensures that your neck remains protected even if you get involved in a high speed crash," he told DNA on the phone from England.
HANS was introduced to reduce the risk of fractures in the neck and skull when the car decelerates rapidly during an accident. The HANS system is made up of a collar which fits perfectly around a driver's neck. On one end of the device, the helmet is connected while the other end is joined to the safety harness that straps a driver to the seat.
Speaking about the HANS device, Toyota team doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli had said, "The HANS device was developed in order to prevent any cervical trauma. It reduces the risk of critical damage on the neck, spinal area and we have to say that HANS has done a good job."
Earlier, in the absence of the HANS device, rapid deceleration of the car would result in the driver's neck and the lower part of the skull getting subjected to immense stresses. While the body used to be strapped to the seat, the neck and skull, which also has to bear the load of the helmet, were loose. According to FIA, neck and skull fractures are the greatest cause of death in racing accidents.
However, the HANS device reduces the energy absorbed by the driver's neck and skull after the car decelerates.
