Thursday, March 11, 2010

why do NASCAR drivers wear helmets?
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2 comments:

  1. Karen WinfieldMarch 11, 2010 at 10:18 PM

    To protect their heads in case they get in an accident.

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  2. Michael BakerMarch 14, 2010 at 10:47 PM

    To elaborate more on that idea:

    All forms of auto racing, even some of the "slowest" (namely autocross and gymkhana) still pose dangers to the drivers. In most motorsports a helmet is required as minimum to prevent excessive injury in the case of an accident. the only one I can think of right now that doesn't is open class drag racing; ie. everyday cars that run the quarter mile in OVER 14 seconds don't require safety gear. In the more serious motorsports (pretty much anything above amateur racing or anything that takes place on an actual race track), they require something that is called a Hans device, which essentially is a set of straps that hold your head in place and the frame that the straps connect to sits underneath the harness to keep people from overextending their necks.

    But yeah, helmets are required because there's a lot of potential for injury. On oval tracks and speedways, NASCAR can hit 160mph+, and having your head bounce around the car at those speeds would be, I can only imagine, pretty uncomfortable.

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