Head and Neck Restraints

1

122 Vega

New member
Are there any that will work with an open face helmet? I assume they feel that the sides of the helmet will expand during an impact and allow the head to come through the front. Do I need to buy a closed face helmet for IT? I have really enjoyed the open face Simpson I bought for autocross and track days.

Opinions?

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Soon to be SSC Mazda MP3

Vintage Cosworth Vega
 
All of the helmet restraint devices on the market are designed for use with a full-face helmet. A full-face helmet is the way to go for a number of reasons and a search of this board might pull up a few discussions related to this.

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Bob Pinkowski
Atlanta Region SCCA
OPM Autosports
ITS Honda Prelude (for sale)
 
Use a full face helmet, for a lot of reasons.

I'm not aware of any head and heck restraint that has been tested with an open-face helmet.

If you insist on using your open-face helmet with a H&N restraint, stay away from models that tend to reduce loads by holding your head up--your head is more likely to squirt out the front.

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Gregg Baker, P.E.
Isaac, LLC
http://www.isaacdirect.com
 
If you like the open face style, look at the Simpson LX Plus. It has a large opening with a visor instead of a flip up shield. Other manufactuers have similar full face styles.

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Joe Camilleri

[This message has been edited by Joe Camilleri (edited March 14, 2004).]
 
The Simpson LX-N is the one I have. But I still think it will open up wide enough from the force applied by the restraints to allow my head to squish through. Maybe I will just start shopping for a closed face helmet.

Thanks for your input,

Britt

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12 weeks till graduation!

Vintage IMSA Cosworth Vega
 
I used to highly recommend closed faced helmets for all drivers when I sold safety equipment. Yes, you are right, your face can be forced through the helmet on certain impacts. Also, your chin is protected from impact on the steering wheel if it is forced up through on a hard frontal impact. I also highly recommend neck braces. Not only do they help with neck fatigue, but they also support the head and neck on any impact. A helmet restraint will also help with that. I saw a picture,once, of how far a neck can stretch on impact and without going into detail, it was some scary. After seeing that picture, I made it a point of highly recommending neck braces to all customers. Good luck in your racing venture.
Trish

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RST's Biggest Fan
 
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