"Introduction This compendium is intended to provide a concise overview of the significant engineering developments in motorsports driver safety that have occurred during the past two decades. In some form or other@ safety has always been part of organized motorsports. Early rule makers limited the maximum weight of racecars. As many of the technologies and lightweight materials available today were not available@ making engines and other components bigger was the easiest way to make performance gains. Thus@ limiting the maximum weight was a way to limit vehicle performance to maintain ""safe"" speeds. One of the first safety developments was the rearview mirror used by Ray Harroun in winning the first Indy 500 in 1911. By using the mirror@ he eliminated the weight of the required riding mechanic@ one of whose jobs was to look out for approaching cars; thus@ the safety improvement was also a potential performance enhancement. For many years@ the evolution of safety improvements in motorsports was the result of a combination of science and perceived safe practices. Performance-enhancing components such as wider tires and aerodynamic designs to increase vehicle cornering speeds were@ in the past@ promoted as ""safety devices."" Safety proponents and their efforts were often ignored. There were many good proposals mixed among just as many unproven and sometimes dangerous ideas. Most safety developments were not based on rigorous laboratory testing@ but rather on intuition and a ""let's try it and see what happens"" approach. Fortunately@ during the last few decades motorsports has benefited from the organized research efforts made possible by academia@ manufacturers@ and sanctioning bodies@ leading to present-day motorsports safety methodologies based on solid data and test evaluations. This compendium comprises selected technical papers that document the development and implementation of key motorsports safety technologies now in use. For the past 50 years@ racing drivers in any type of racing car have used a seat@ a helmet@ and some form of body restraint (lap belts or shoulder and lap belts) when competing on a racing track. Head protection was the first issue in motorsports safety to receive rigorous scientific attention with the establishment of the Snell Memorial Foundation in 1957 and the introduction of improved helmets in 1958 (Newman@ J. A.@ 2007@ Modern Sports Helmets@ Their History@ Science and Art@ Schiffer Publishing Ltd.). Restraint belt use was sometimes optional@ and@ in some cases@ intentionally not used where the structure of the racecar was judged@ by the driver@ to be not protective and potentially dangerous in a crash. The drivers of such cars wanted to be thrown clear of the car in a crash@ thereby (hopefully) avoiding injuries from the collapse of the car structure or from the frequent occurrence of fire. As racing car structures became stronger and more protective and fire protection became effective through the introduction of fuel cells and fire-resistant driver uniforms@ staying with the car through the use of multipoint restraint belts became common. These belt restraint systems were copied from military airplane pilot restraintbelt systems directly@ with no racecar-specific testing. The seat@ however@ was not viewed as part of the protection system@ but@ rather@ as a comfort and body stability system while driving the car."
SAE PT-160-2013 history
2013SAE PT-160-2013 Developments in Modern Racecar Driver Crash Protection and Safety-Engineering Beyond Performance