I'm sure Bob Stroud and Jim Deist have been approached about this very
subject. In every other type of racing and with bikes, the driver must
have a chance to swivel his (or her) head to see and avoid traffic. At
times there is a need for at least a 180 degree field of possible
vision. The HANS device allows for this kind of movement. On the
salt specifically, not only is the field of vision drastically
narrowed, there is very little vertical movement needed. I know there
are some racers who are so tightly tucked into their roll cage that
they almost have to get out of their helmet to exit the car. With the
larger size of the newest helmets this will become more and more the
case.
To keep the driver's hands and legs inside the car the rule makers have
mandated safety nets in the windows and wrist restraints in addition to
bracing in the frame to keep lower body parts protected. These
precautions have worked pretty well. I can only think of two incidents
where there have been problems and one of these was primarily the
driver's doing. Attachment points that are sewn into the sleeves or on
the gloves solve that problem. The neck braces also help and as Dale
indicates there would be some advantage to stiffer foam in those.
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