HANS

[ab8]

I might be about to get a GT car with clubsport package, and intend to use the harnesses. I never see HANS devices at trackways, but have been repeatedly told that if you're harnessed, you need to use HANS. What do people here do?

[TDT]

I use my harnesses and also use a HANS.
Once you get used to it, you'll will always feel safer with it - and you don't realise how much your head moves around until you've driven with one on and then without.

If you know you're are going with HANS from the start - be sure to fit the HANS specific 2 inch wide harnesses rather the 3in wide.
I fitted the 3inch and whilst they do work with - the fitment with the 2in is much better.

[ab8]

Thanks very much. There doesn't seem to me to be a good reason not to use it, but I just don't see them being used!

[SRT Hellcat]

https://www.nickygrist.com/simpson-hybrid-sport
this I find is the most comfortable to wear as it does not press down on your rib cage.

[lowndes]

Some 991.2 GT3 ClubSport came with 2” shoulder straps as standard. It is not advisable to use these without a HANS. As I only do occasional track days I asked the OPC where I had bought the car for a set of 3” shoulder straps. They fitted a new Schroth 6 point harness FOC. I even had the option to change from the standard Porsche red to black.

[Steve Rance]

I race with a HANS device - it’s obligatory in some championships. I don’t wear them at track days as they do restrict your head movement and there’s a lot of traffic to deal with so I prefer to have as much freedom of head movement as possible. Also, there is a lot more chance of a prang when you are door to door at race speeds than on track days. The 911 tends to end up going in backwards anyway. Would I wear one in a front engined car? No, not at a track day - but I would understand why some drivers would

[BertBert]

Another thing to consider is the shoulder strap fitting points to the car. The HANS tends to be a bit more fussy about the distance apart and the angle of the strap to the horizontal. Not from Porsches, but in historic single seaters we've generally had to move the shoulder fittings closer together otherwise the shoulder straps fall off the HANS, which is definitely not safer.

Also I'm no expert, but I think the HANS was specifically designed to prevent the one specific (albeit fatal) injury from a hard head-on hit. As Steve says this is a rare occurence.

So like many, I don't wear a HANS on trackdays and I've got 3" straps so that's ok for me. YMMV

Bert

[ab8]

This is all very helpful, thank you. The car would be a GT4 so neither front engined nor rear engined!

As I understand it, 3 inches spreads the force better over the torso so causes less damage there, but because there's so little give when harnessed that the deceleration of the head (and so the strain borne by the neck) is very much accelerated in a crash - hence HANS, to support the neck. What I hadn't appreciated, but am beginning to, is that HANS doesn't help with side-to-side movement, so it really is a single-crash type situation.

Are 3 inches considered safer than 2 inches absent HANS, or just more comfortable?

Thanks again.

[TDT]

ab8 said:

Are 3 inches considered safer than 2 inches absent HANS, or just more comfortable?

Safer as it spreads the load. 2inch should not be used without HANS.

[ab8]

I see it also prevents excessive rotation - not just forward/backward movement.

[isaldiri]

It's definitely safer I agree but have to admit on track days I don't bother as I find it a bit restrictive on head movement and visibility. If I were racing I would for sure but on trackdays I'm just messing around with friends generally and there's a lot more safety margin (I think anyway). That said one of my friends who does a fair bit of racing is absolutely insistent on using his hans though so it's probably sensible but personally I am happy with the risk for the added comfort/lack of bother.

P.S the simpson hybrid mentioned above is supposed to help with side impacts fwiw.

[Filibuster]

After having seen this video, I'd get a HANS myself should I ever do any kind of racing myself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g40YatgE_CE

[Porsche911R]

isaldiri said:

It's definitely safer I agree but have to admit on track days I don't bother as I find it a bit restrictive on head movement and visibility. .

what issues ? a human has 170 degrees vision, and road cars have mirrors, there really should be no need to move ones head bar to look a few degrees left to check the nearside mirror !!

why are people moving about in a car so much !!!

driving is about awareness of other cars, and keeping your eyes front (your car goes where you look) , not doing life savers like you were on a bike test !!

I do wonder what people are doing in cars !!

[Yellow491]

Porsche911R said:

isaldiri said:

It's definitely safer I agree but have to admit on track days I don't bother as I find it a bit restrictive on head movement and visibility. .

what issues ? a human has 170 degrees vision, and road cars have mirrors, there really should be no need to move ones head bar to look a few degrees left to check the nearside mirror !!

why are people moving about in a car so much !!!

driving is about awareness of other cars, and keeping your eyes front (your car goes where you look) , not doing life savers like you were on a bike test !!

I do wonder what people are doing in cars !!

I do wonder where you get such crap from,where do you look when you have cocked up and going sideways.
Novice drivers start with almost tunnel vision,and need to move there head until confident,then they can work on perifual vision with experience.

[ab8]

It's just another form of insurance I guess - hopefully not necessary, but if it is then it is. I think I'll go with 2 inches and HANS (the Simpson jobby looks very interesting) on my side, 3 inches for the passenger.

[ab8]

Yellow491 said:

where do you look when you have cocked up and going sideways.

Re this, does anyone have experience of the HANS sliding tethers (vs the Simpson system for a bonus point)?

[isaldiri]

Porsche911R said:

what issues ? a human has 170 degrees vision, and road cars have mirrors, there really should be no need to move ones head bar to look a few degrees left to check the nearside mirror !!

why are people moving about in a car so much !!!

driving is about awareness of other cars, and keeping your eyes front (your car goes where you look) , not doing life savers like you were on a bike test !!

I do wonder what people are doing in cars !!

When is the last time you wore a Hans at a trackday?

[geeks]

Steve Rance said:

I race with a HANS device - it’s obligatory in some championships. I don’t wear them at track days as they do restrict your head movement and there’s a lot of traffic to deal with so I prefer to have as much freedom of head movement as possible. Also, there is a lot more chance of a prang when you are door to door at race speeds than on track days. The 911 tends to end up going in backwards anyway. Would I wear one in a front engined car? No, not at a track day - but I would understand why some drivers would

Porsche’s will go into a wall in any fking direction!

As for not wearing one in something front engines. This pic shows why that’s pretty fking stupid! Guy in the left no HANS, Guy on right has a HANS!

P.S HANS have been mandatory on Club Racing for some time now with the exception of historic stuff as it’s not much use without actual belts!

[red997]

I use one;
had it from when I was racing (briefly...)
thought I might as well use it for trackdays.
Car has 2" shoulder straps, and the hans has a sliding tether.
TBH, I forget I'm wearing it most of the time !
(FYI 991 GT3 CS )

[andy97]

I would not go on track without a HANS device or similar. Trackday or not. They help limit injury in any accident where whiplash is likely to occur; and accidents do happen even on trackdays.