rec.autos.simulators

> Yes, Dale and others wear an open face helmet but in this type of head on
> impact the helmet really is a moot point. Maybe in a crash with a lot of
> debris flying around and smashing into the***pit you may be in more
danger
> wearing an open face helmet but with a head on impact like this you could
> probably be wearing a space helmet and still die.

> The type of injury suffered by Dale Earnhardt more than likely is the same
> as Petty and Irwin's -- a basalar skull fracture. Most of the news calls
> this sever head trama and people don't relate this to a broken neck which
> descibes it better. Basically with a basalar skull fracture your skull and
> brain move so forcefully that they snap off from your spine, killing
> instantly. I think the press is doing a disservice to the public by
> describing this as sever head trauma. One guy I work with actually thought
> Dale probably hit his head really *** the dash and that an airbag
might
> have helped...(yeah, helped everyone that gets bumped to have an airbag
> deploy in their face so they can't see to stay out of a wreck)

> Anyway, I also found the comments of the examing doctor to be very
> misleading and not at all helping anyone want to learn more about the HANS
> device or other saftey measures that are designed to prevent this exact
> injury.

> FROM FOX NEWS
> "Dr. Steve Bohannon, who tried to save Earnhardt's life as the driver sat
> slumped in the wreckage, said the autopsy performed Monday confirmed what
> everyone suspected: Earnhardt died on impact. He sustained a skull
fracture
> that ran from the front to the back of his brain.

> The autopsy didn't include any test whether a HANS device would have saved
> Earnhardt. Bohannon said he had doubts how effective the device would have
> been in this accident

> "Even if you restrain the head and neck in this type of injury with the
> forces we're talking about - hitting a concrete barricade at 150, 170
mph -
> there's still one more element you have to address," Bohannon said. "All
> those organs internally still move at time of impact," and that could be
> fatal, too."

> His comment basically calls the HANS device useless in this type of
> wreck...however, if you read closely he goes on to say that Dale's
fracture
> mighgt have been prevented BUT other elements COULD still have caused
death
> TOO...well that I think is a pretty big and unproven TOO to be using when
> his statement is going to influence not only the govering body of the
sport
> but also many of its drivers young and old across the country.

> Well, if it was me, give me the HANS device and prevent my head popping
off
> my body...I'll worry later if my brain is so scrabled I don't want to go
> on....but maybe drivers just don't want to hear about it period.

> > The Times in the UK reported today that he was wearing an openfaced
> helmet.
> > I must admit I am not a huge follower of NASCAR, but any death in the
> sport
> > is alway painful. But, is what the Times said true? If it is it common
> > practice in NASCAR. I cannot believe in this day and age that any driver
> > would wear such a helmet whilst driving at such speeds. I'm even more
> > shocked that any motorsport governing body would allow a driver into a
car
> > capable of the kinf of speeds that NASCARs go, with an open faced
helmet.
> > If I am wrong, I apologise, I am in no way trying to take away from this
> > tragedy. If it is true, I cannot believe it.

> The Times in the UK reported today that he was wearing an openfaced helmet.
> I must admit I am not a huge follower of NASCAR, but any death in the sport
> is alway painful. But, is what the Times said true? If it is it common
> practice in NASCAR. I cannot believe in this day and age that any driver
> would wear such a helmet whilst driving at such speeds. I'm even more
> shocked that any motorsport governing body would allow a driver into a car
> capable of the kinf of speeds that NASCARs go, with an open faced helmet.
> If I am wrong, I apologise, I am in no way trying to take away from this
> tragedy. If it is true, I cannot believe it.

> Actually, there's a number of drivers who use the open face helmet.  DE,
DE Jr,
> Jimmy Spencer, and*** Trickle to name a few.  The NASCAR required the
use of a
> helmet.  It doesn't regulate open or closed.  I'm certain there is a spec
for it's
> crashworthiness.  DE and Jimmy just feel more comfortable with the open
face.
>*** Trickle has has a somewhat more practicle reason.  He actually smokes
*while*
> racing.  You'll never see it on TV (by contract); but he actually smokes
in the
>***pit.  (No, there's no regulation prohibiting it, it's just habit for
***.)  I
> would agree that it's a bad idea to use an open faced helmet, but you
can't tell a
> driver nothin' (unless you're either an official or the owner sometimes a
crew
> chief can get his point across though).

> Although an open faced helment certainly would not have prevented this
fatality.
> Speculation is that the HANS device might not have been able to save him.

> > Unfortunately, Dale Jr. picked up his dad's bad habit of wearing open
face
> > helmets. I certainly hope he reconsiders in the near future.

> > --
> > -------------------------------------
> > Morgan Vincent Wooten
> > GPLRank: +10.02
> > http://www.racesimcentral.net/~morganv00/
> > -------------------------------------

> > > It's true. I  think he was the only driver still wearing one.
> > > He always felt the full faced helmets restricted his view.

> > > >The Times in the UK reported today that he was wearing an openfaced
helmet.
> > > >I must admit I am not a huge follower of NASCAR, but any death in the
sport
> > > >is alway painful. But, is what the Times said true? If it is it
common
> > > >practice in NASCAR. I cannot believe in this day and age that any
driver
> > > >would wear such a helmet whilst driving at such speeds. I'm even more
> > > >shocked that any motorsport governing body would allow a driver into
a car
> > > >capable of the kinf of speeds that NASCARs go, with an open faced
helmet.
> > > >If I am wrong, I apologise, I am in no way trying to take away from
this
> > > >tragedy. If it is true, I cannot believe it.

> There is a good link at http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Why
> wouldn't an airbag help by supporting the head and absorbing energy?  If
> it's set to go off at 30 G's, the driver probably wouldn't be driving away
> anyway.

> > Yes, Dale and others wear an open face helmet but in this type of head
on
> > impact the helmet really is a moot point. Maybe in a crash with a lot of
> > debris flying around and smashing into the***pit you may be in more
> danger
> > wearing an open face helmet but with a head on impact like this you
could
> > probably be wearing a space helmet and still die.

> > The type of injury suffered by Dale Earnhardt more than likely is the
same
> > as Petty and Irwin's -- a basalar skull fracture. Most of the news calls
> > this sever head trama and people don't relate this to a broken neck
which
> > descibes it better. Basically with a basalar skull fracture your skull
and
> > brain move so forcefully that they snap off from your spine, killing
> > instantly. I think the press is doing a disservice to the public by
> > describing this as sever head trauma. One guy I work with actually
thought
> > Dale probably hit his head really *** the dash and that an airbag
> might
> > have helped...(yeah, helped everyone that gets bumped to have an airbag
> > deploy in their face so they can't see to stay out of a wreck)

> > Anyway, I also found the comments of the examing doctor to be very
> > misleading and not at all helping anyone want to learn more about the
HANS
> > device or other saftey measures that are designed to prevent this exact
> > injury.

> > FROM FOX NEWS
> > "Dr. Steve Bohannon, who tried to save Earnhardt's life as the driver
sat
> > slumped in the wreckage, said the autopsy performed Monday confirmed
what
> > everyone suspected: Earnhardt died on impact. He sustained a skull
> fracture
> > that ran from the front to the back of his brain.

> > The autopsy didn't include any test whether a HANS device would have
saved
> > Earnhardt. Bohannon said he had doubts how effective the device would
have
> > been in this accident

> > "Even if you restrain the head and neck in this type of injury with the
> > forces we're talking about - hitting a concrete barricade at 150, 170
> mph -
> > there's still one more element you have to address," Bohannon said. "All
> > those organs internally still move at time of impact," and that could be
> > fatal, too."

> > His comment basically calls the HANS device useless in this type of
> > wreck...however, if you read closely he goes on to say that Dale's
> fracture
> > mighgt have been prevented BUT other elements COULD still have caused
> death
> > TOO...well that I think is a pretty big and unproven TOO to be using
when
> > his statement is going to influence not only the govering body of the
> sport
> > but also many of its drivers young and old across the country.

> > Well, if it was me, give me the HANS device and prevent my head popping
> off
> > my body...I'll worry later if my brain is so scrabled I don't want to go
> > on....but maybe drivers just don't want to hear about it period.

> > > The Times in the UK reported today that he was wearing an openfaced
> > helmet.
> > > I must admit I am not a huge follower of NASCAR, but any death in the
> > sport
> > > is alway painful. But, is what the Times said true? If it is it common
> > > practice in NASCAR. I cannot believe in this day and age that any
driver
> > > would wear such a helmet whilst driving at such speeds. I'm even more
> > > shocked that any motorsport governing body would allow a driver into a
> car
> > > capable of the kinf of speeds that NASCARs go, with an open faced
> helmet.
> > > If I am wrong, I apologise, I am in no way trying to take away from
this
> > > tragedy. If it is true, I cannot believe it.

> Fire is the main concern.

> >Well, why do you really need a closed-face helmet in a stock car?

> <snip>
> >Dick
> >Trickle has has a somewhat more practicle reason.  He actually
> >smokes *while* racing.
> <snip>

> Hmmm "Smokin' Jo" Winkelhock comes to mind... if anything ought to
> banned, this ought. There's no place in any form of motorsport for
> smoking - it goes against the basic principle of safety - no-one should
> be subjected to any unnecessary danger.

> --
> David. (GPLRank handicap: -5.92; Monsters of GPLRank h/cap +287.79)
> Earn (not very much) cash with "Ciao!" reviews - http://uk.ciao.com
> "After all, a mere thousand yards - such a harmless little knoll,
> really" - Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh.

>There is no possible way they could EVER program an Air Bag for a race car.

>Not only that, but I can almost guarantee you that the damned thing would
>end up going off when it's not supposed to (you can't possibly program
>around all the dynamics a car goes through in a race) and would cause a
>wreck in and of itself.

>I am confident that we will never see Air Bags in Cup Cars.

> Yes he was wearing an open faced helmet and he always has wore one.  IT
DID
> NOT CAUSE HIS DEATH.

> CW

> > The Times in the UK reported today that he was wearing an openfaced
> helmet.
> > I must admit I am not a huge follower of NASCAR, but any death in the
> sport
> > is alway painful. But, is what the Times said true? If it is it common
> > practice in NASCAR. I cannot believe in this day and age that any driver
> > would wear such a helmet whilst driving at such speeds. I'm even more
> > shocked that any motorsport governing body would allow a driver into a
car
> > capable of the kinf of speeds that NASCARs go, with an open faced
helmet.
> > If I am wrong, I apologise, I am in no way trying to take away from this
> > tragedy. If it is true, I cannot believe it.

> Well, why do you really need a closed-face helmet in a stock car?

> >*** Trickle has has a somewhat more practicle reason.  He actually smokes
> *while*
> > racing.  You'll never see it on TV (by contract); but he actually smokes
> in the
> >***pit.  (No, there's no regulation prohibiting it, it's just habit for
>***.)

> I seem to remember stories about Tiny Lund, I think it was, who used to
> drive one-handed while smoking a cigar. (Might have been Junior Johnson.)

> Jerry Morelock

> <snip>
> >Dick
> >Trickle has has a somewhat more practicle reason.  He actually
> >smokes *while* racing.
> <snip>

> Hmmm "Smokin' Jo" Winkelhock comes to mind... if anything ought to
> banned, this ought. There's no place in any form of motorsport for
> smoking - it goes against the basic principle of safety - no-one should
> be subjected to any unnecessary danger.

>Unfortunately, Dale Jr. picked up his dad's bad habit of wearing open face
>helmets. I certainly hope he reconsiders in the near future.

> Hey Larry,

> That is an awfully short-sighted claim. I wouldn't guarantee that it
> will happen, but, to say it can't be done, well, I just don't buy it.

> With the proper mix of accelerometers, gyros and some well written
> software, I have no doubt it could be done.

> I'd bet the logic can be created to prevent false triggers for any
> racing scenario you can come up with. Obviously, it's complex and
> could be done poorly or done well depending on whose doing it and how
> well developed it is, but, I'm certain it could be done.

> Randy

> >There is no possible way they could EVER program an Air Bag for a race
car.

> >Not only that, but I can almost guarantee you that the damned thing would
> >end up going off when it's not supposed to (you can't possibly program
> >around all the dynamics a car goes through in a race) and would cause a
> >wreck in and of itself.

> >I am confident that we will never see Air Bags in Cup Cars.