CSL Crash at Silverstone

[El_Gordo]

Hope recovery is swift.

I MUST invest in that HANS device for next year, I tend to feel invincible when I am in a car, but posts like this bring you back down to earth.

[Thorney]

This was one of those incidents where Hans may have been a detriment, complete 90 degree side on impact, wouldn't have helped either of us. However we will now be putting Hans seats in passenger seats and I wont ever go out as a passenger again without full suit and hans ever again.

[windy]

So what caused you guys the damage then John? I'm assuming you were both harnesses & helmeted - did part of the bodywork come inwards, or was it simply the forces of going from 60-0mph with the aid of a concrete wall.

I assume Daz's off at the first CSL Cup was at much lower speed?

Scary.

[DazBlackCSL]

So what caused you guys the damage then John? I'm assuming you were both harnesses & helmeted - did part of the bodywork come inwards, or was it simply the forces of going from 60-0mph with the aid of a concrete wall.

I assume Daz's off at the first CSL Cup was at much lower speed?

Scary.

Slightly lower speed, and more importantly I hit broadside and spread the impact against the wall down the whole side of my car rather than directly head on :119:

That was my very first outing on slicks also !!!!

[_Nathan_]

If head on then HANS would've helped and as John said it didn't I assume this was broadside too - ie 90 degrees to the direction of travel, difference was that this unfortunately involved a concrete wall

JT - why do you say HANS may have been to your detriment? In a sideways crash what does it do that could worsen the damage? Interested to hear as I wear one and can't see how that could be the case?

[windy]

Yeah, I thought I heard it was broadside, though the pics look like it was more like quarter-on judging by the huge front suspension damage (strut-brace damage makes it look nasty) compared to the light rear arch/wheel damage.

I'm guessing the seats that have those wraparound 'wings' offer more protection from a sideways smash?

What's the cost of a Hans setup?

[_Nathan_]

I have the same set up and RRP on the seat is around £1200 from memory, think I paid around £750+vat, HANS itself was around 650 I think for the carbon one, they do a cheaper one which is just as effective but less shiny.

[phat///M3]

Hope you both have a swift recovery, all the best.

[NZ_M3]

Hope you two a swift and trouble free recovery - any speed + concrete wall is never a pretty sight.

Looks to me like the driver seat is a Recaro Hans with head restraint and the passenger a normal Recaro SPG or Pole position (looks a bit bent from the photos too, like it's tilted one way - I suspect the side mounts gave?)

[Mark CSL]

Good to hear you are both ok John
the car can always get sorted.

[derek]

Good to speak to you today, hope you recover, plan to be in touch with you soon

[alexk]

Good that you are well guys !

Get well soon.

[Thorney]

My injuries were all caused by the sheer force of impact, the concrete wall had zero give so we effectively went from 60mph to 0mph in one mm, according to docs that the equivalent of nearly 13g. Roger got off lighlty as he was knocked unconcious so his body was limp, I naturally stiffened up at impact = more damage. The impact was side on, ie the direction of travel was right to left with initial impact point being just behind the front wheel in front of the A pillar, due to the cage the strongest point on the car.

As for Hans, well Hans is only designed for fore/aft impact, side to side impacts are not dealt with and in some instances can cause some twisting where the Hans will make the neck injury worse. For this reason I use the sliders (where the Hans straps are not fixed into the top section) so there is some lateral movement but as i wasn't wearing it I cant say I've tested it. Certainly I wont be going our out on track again without a Hans in a race car, it was a scary impact.

Both the seats survived the impact well, the side mounts gave (ie the metal twisted in the impact) but remained attached to the car so in effect the correct fitment saved more injury, I've seen where a seat comes loose and it aint pretty. Overall we're pretty proud of our worksmanship in the car so wer'e trying to put a postive light on the outcome (naturally) but I can think of less painful ways of marketing what we do!

[_Nathan_]

John writing the test plan for more safety equipment



I've got the vision tethers too, they are standard now so hopefully nothing to worry about there. It is only when you see a proper shunt like this that you really start to look at the safety aspect.

Roger said that he thinks the HANS seat stopped him breaking his neck, money well spent!

[CATDT]

Really sorry to read this but very glad you are both ok John.

Jo