Foam neck braces

Are they any good? How good are they? Obviously, they're not as effective as a HANS or other proper neck restraint. But if you do not have the money to afford a nice device, do the neck braces actually work?

From my understanding they are more a fatigue reliever than a safety device?

Look into an Issacs basic for a sled tested and cheap H&N restraint.

Same thing as deer horns on car bumpers - I haven't broken my neck yet whist wearing one! Perfect so far!

I seriously doubt that they would help that much in an accident, other than maybe to prevent you from getting whiplash.

tuna55 wrote: Same thing as deer horns on car bumpers - I haven't broken my neck yet whist wearing one! Perfect so far! I seriously doubt that they would help that much in an accident, other than maybe to prevent you from getting whiplash.

It also makes sitting down easier when you have a flare up...

You have 2 cars and want to do track days but cant afford a proper neck restraint??? Dont some of those things only cost a couple hundred$. Safety gear is the last spot to skimp on. Being a quadrapolegic after breaking your neck would be a buzz kill.

I'm using the Link... Happy so far especially for the price and being backed up by sled data. http://www.isaacdirect.com/html/product.html

ChumpCar and I think LeMons specified that you need a H+N or a foam brace. They just want people to be safe, and they prefer to have people in H+N's but the horse collars should help with whiplash, limiting vehicle speed also helps reduce some potential for injury, though not all of it.

Stefan

Track days aren't that expensive, and almost nobody runs a HANS or any other expensive device at a DE's. It's not likes it's competitive racing. The foam head rings aren't the most effective, but for a DE event I'd say it's worth it for that little bit of extra safety, at a reasonable price, for a relatively safe motorsport event. And for a DE with 30 minute stints it is pretty awesome when your neck gets tired.

I know I'm not going to be in the majority on this one but I much enjoy not wearing a neck warmer when I'm driving in a hot car, on a hot day. On auto-x and drift events I rarely use my neck brace. I'm not saying it's safer or that you should get rid of all your safety stuff, but sometimes less restraint makes for a little more enjoyable experience. Best driving experience I ever had was at a small road course at a drift event. End of the day, everyone was packing up, and I went out to finish off my last set of tires and didn't feel like putting my helmet and neck ring back on. Man that was fun, most enjoyable 5 minutes in my track car ever!

I read on a racing forum from a reliable source that went to a safety seminar that the neck collar can act as a fulcrum and actually do more harm than good.

Before the H&N restraint "wave of popularity" I used a good old M&R foam collar to keep my neck from getting sore. As an instructor I get a really fatigued/sore neck driving my own car and then spending the other 12 sessions a day getting bobbled around in someone else's car.

It didn't really occur to me that I needed to tether my head to my body at the low speeds and types of accidents I see at DEs, time attack and club races BUT now that NASA and BMWCCA made it mandatory for racing it isn't about my opine any longer. I need one.

I chose the Rage R3 because its cheap - and it affords me the ability to use it for instructing in other people's cars (it attaches to you, not the car) as well as in my own race car. Its got the right rating and its reasonably priced. I just got it and I've not used it yet so I cannot report on how irritating it is at this time.

My own personal opinion is that for the risk level at a DE, and the chance that you will benefit from it, a good containment seat and quality helmet are way better protection. Remember its useless in a t-bone, rollover, back-in, etc. You gotta be pretty square on a wall to get help from it... and I see a lot of guys in t-shirts and jeans tag it in hard and walk away. Just please, remember that is my opinion and I am the personal risk equivalent of Craig MacTavish (last NHL player to play w/o a helmet) and you need to assess the situation for yourself.

Wow. I am verbose today... gotta lay off the coffee.

I never wear my helmet (full-face G-Force) without my foam neck collar. It's cheap and it helps with fatigue greatly. My neck has issues so I like the fact that it helps support the helmet, especially in autocross, but still allows me to turn and look at the corners.

If I ever do door-to-door road racing (which will never happen) or rally cross, etc I could see stepping up to a H&N. At the HPDE/Autocorss level the neck collar does a damn good job. I forget it on a single run in Packwood and was sore for three days. I don't think people realize how violent autocross can get.

In summary, I heartily recommend one!

P71 wrote: I never wear my helmet (full-face G-Force) without my foam neck collar. It's cheap and it helps with fatigue greatly. My neck has issues so I like the fact that it helps support the helmet, especially in autocross, but still allows me to turn and look at the corners. If I ever do door-to-door road racing (which will never happen) or rally cross, etc I could see stepping up to a H&N. At the HPDE/Autocorss level the neck collar does a damn good job. I forget it on a single run in Packwood and was sore for three days. I don't think people realize how violent autocross can get. In summary, I heartily recommend one!

You're not doing ChumpCar? Bummer. You coming out and watching though, right? There's a couple of 944's there, you might make a contact with someone selling exactly what you're looking for.

I was going to be the "Team Captain" for ChumpCar (the poor idiot that has to stay awake in the pits the entire time) but our team never happened. Now I'm going to Bellingham to get wasted with friends in costume. I really wanted to go, but spectating wouldn't have been as much fun as actually being involved.

And no, I wouldn't do any driving. I only have 1 HPDE, 1 Touring Event, and 2 Track Days under my belt. I'm perfectly comfortable drag racing or autocrossing or even ProSolo-ing, but I am so not ready for door-to-door racing. I'd definitely want a H&N and better helmet (SA instead of M) as well before I did, as I said I already have neck issues, no need to risk any more.

Used to be that dirt bikers never wore neck supports, now you see the foam collars everywhere so they must do SOME good.

I'm running a G Force collar with a full face helmet for hillclimbs and LeMons. I don't use it for AX because frankly I find it irritating, so I use it only when I think there's a strong chance of a real solid whack. Since hillclimbs do involve a much bigger chance of that happening, I've been looking at different H&N systems.

I like the Rage R3 because, like Snorkelwacker says, it goes with you and not the car. There are reports that the HANS etc can possibly slow you down getting out of the car since they depend on the car's harness to stay properly positioned and they stick up pretty far behind the helmet, although so far there are no reports of anyone not being able to get out of a car because of one.

Rage R3:

HANS:

Helmet supports/foam neck collars/whatever do nothing for safety. Invest in a good seat, harness, light helmet and HNR.

Howard Bennett HANS Performance

I agree with H Bennett. A person with a head and helmet that weighs 10 pounds, who hits something solid and decelerates at 40 Gs has 400 pounds pulling the head off the neck. That is the type of injury that causes tearing of the ligaments at the base of the skull and avulsion (tearing off) of the vertebral arteries. This is the injury that killed D.E. Similar injuries caused nearly half of auto racing fatalities (in the modern era) prior to wide spread use of the HANS and like restraints. Hang 400 pound from your head and see if the foam collar helps... it won't. Indy and Champ car drivers have survived impacts of approximately 100 Gs.

miwifri wrote: I agree with H Bennett. A person with a head and helmet that weighs 10 pounds, who hits something solid and decelerates at 40 Gs has 400 pounds pulling the head off the neck. That is the type of injury that causes tearing of the ligaments at the base of the skull and avulsion (tearing off) of the vertebral arteries. This is the injury that killed D.E. Similar injuries caused nearly half of auto racing fatalities (in the modern era) prior to wide spread use of the HANS and like restraints. Hang 400 pound from your head and see if the foam collar helps... it won't. Indy and Champ car drivers have survived impacts of approximately 100 Gs.

I don't hear anyone saying a collar is a safety device. It is for the relief of fatigue.

No one will argue that lighter is better or that tying your head to your torso is a good thing... but most DE guys will never hit anything going more than 80 or so and then some percentage less will hit something in a way that stresses the neck... which is why if cost is a concern it might be better to buy a good seat and helmet 1st... because they are useful in every situation. For racing - it is not an option - its mandatory by everyone I can think of.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Some years ago a tree fell on the front of my car while I was doing 40 mph. The approximate force of the impact was 25 G's. I was wearing a lap belt and it kept me from hitting the windshield. In spite of having no visible injuries I went through 5 hospitalizations, many months of physical therapy and lost 2&1/2 years of work. I was told that I was lucky the impact didn't kill me and that being in excellent physical condition at the time helped. The point is; even relatively low speed impacts create stresses our bodies are not made to withstand. I strongly urge anyone competing in speed events to use a H&N restraint. By the way, I race SCCA Nationals using a H&N device and have survived several hard crashes with no injury.

Don49 wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Some years ago a tree fell on the front of my car while I was doing 40 mph. The approximate force of the impact was 25 G's. I was wearing a lap belt and it kept me from hitting the windshield. In spite of having no visible injuries I went through 5 hospitalizations, many months of physical therapy and lost 2&1/2 years of work. I was told that I was lucky the impact didn't kill me and that being in excellent physical condition at the time helped. The point is; even relatively low speed impacts create stresses our bodies are not made to withstand. I strongly urge anyone competing in speed events to use a H&N restraint. By the way, I race SCCA Nationals using a H&N device and have survived several hard crashes with no injury.

One: I'm not arguing its a good idea - just not every situation calls for it to be a 1st priority. Not everyone involved in this thread has a cage yet.

Two: 25Gs at your bumper != 25G on your neck.

Three: It takes a specific type of crash to have it help you so saying you have had hard crashes and survived... maybe it was relevant and maybe not. Depends on the type of impact.

Again... its a good idea - if you have a good seat, harnesses, helmet and cage to go with it. If you don't then you need to before you bother to buy one.

I use a Valhalla 360 device for karting.

Leatt also makes a kart-specific brace.

I don't know how they'd work in a car - but I'd use one.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

I was under the impression that this thread began with the speculation that a foam collar may help to protect the neck. Some of the subsequent discussion also made reference to safety verses comfort.

The deceleration forces exerted on the neck in a crash are related to the change in velocity over the change in time. You can achieve very high G forces crashing at 80 mph if you hit something that is solid, certainly enough to cause injury to the base of the skull/neck. The pattern of injury may be different depending on the type of restraint, for example the neck/skull injury is more frequent with race harnesses and helmet and chest and abdomen injuries are more common in street accidents with lap and shoulder belts.

The initial question was, "Do they work". The answer seems to be: not for safety, but they do for fatigue.

I think they work somewhat to protect the neck in low speed collisions.. they definitely help with fatigue. Especially if you don't wear a helmet much and you have a thin neck.

What I've always wondered though, is in a serious accident, wouldn't it be possible that they work as a lever for the weight of the helmeted head to actually apply MORE force to the spine?

What I like to do is just put sheet metal screws into the roof of the car through my helmet, and squeeze up into it and buckle it onto my head. This keeps my head from moving at all. very effective.