Karting Safety Gear
I have spend almost 40 years in racing, 25 of those years behind the wheel. A lot has changed but probable nothing more that the safety of both the equipment and the gear we wear.
Karting poses a specific challenge in that there is no enclosed cockpit and the driver is not restrained. The idea is that the driver will leave the kart in a serious crash and this concept has generally served us well. However that means there are different priorities for karting safety equipment verses formula cars, for example.
Most sprint kart accidents fall into one of three categories:
1. The kart hits a relatively immovable object such as a wall, haybales or one of the new kart track barriers.
2. The kart goes off-track or hits a competitor's wheel just right and is launched into the air.
3. Another kart hits and is launched over the second kart, often landing on top of the second kart and its driver.
To best avoid injuries in any of these scenarios, the driver needs a suit much like a motorcycle racer where abrasion resistance is key. Note that fire retardant driving suits required by most forms of racing are not designed to provide much in the way of abrasion resistance. A three-layer fire-resistant suit might provide some abrasion resistance but is very costly and hot! A suit designed specifically for karting will be cooler, less expensive and generally offer better protection from the challenges facing a kart driver.
Helmets - I can not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing a quality helmet designed for auto racing. The Snell SA rating is a minimum requirement! All three scenarios described above involve a high probability of the driver's head impacting something with significant force. The other important point is to make sure it fits properly. I see too many young drivers with helmets that are too large. The parent is trying to save money but I strongly believe that is not a good compromise!
The other important piece of equipment is the neck collar. Most drivers my age all have neck problems as we raced prior to things like the HANS device. Most karting organizations require a neck support and many drivers use a foam doughnut. I don't believe these are particularly effective and while the HANS device can not be used in a kart, there are two devices available that I believe are far superior to the foam collars.
Valhalla 360 and the Leatt braces are similar in concept to the HANS but are constructed to work without belts.
Race safe!
Karting poses a specific challenge in that there is no enclosed cockpit and the driver is not restrained. The idea is that the driver will leave the kart in a serious crash and this concept has generally served us well. However that means there are different priorities for karting safety equipment verses formula cars, for example.
Most sprint kart accidents fall into one of three categories:
1. The kart hits a relatively immovable object such as a wall, haybales or one of the new kart track barriers.
2. The kart goes off-track or hits a competitor's wheel just right and is launched into the air.
3. Another kart hits and is launched over the second kart, often landing on top of the second kart and its driver.
To best avoid injuries in any of these scenarios, the driver needs a suit much like a motorcycle racer where abrasion resistance is key. Note that fire retardant driving suits required by most forms of racing are not designed to provide much in the way of abrasion resistance. A three-layer fire-resistant suit might provide some abrasion resistance but is very costly and hot! A suit designed specifically for karting will be cooler, less expensive and generally offer better protection from the challenges facing a kart driver.
Helmets - I can not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing a quality helmet designed for auto racing. The Snell SA rating is a minimum requirement! All three scenarios described above involve a high probability of the driver's head impacting something with significant force. The other important point is to make sure it fits properly. I see too many young drivers with helmets that are too large. The parent is trying to save money but I strongly believe that is not a good compromise!
The other important piece of equipment is the neck collar. Most drivers my age all have neck problems as we raced prior to things like the HANS device. Most karting organizations require a neck support and many drivers use a foam doughnut. I don't believe these are particularly effective and while the HANS device can not be used in a kart, there are two devices available that I believe are far superior to the foam collars.
Valhalla 360 and the Leatt braces are similar in concept to the HANS but are constructed to work without belts.
Race safe!
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