| The safety of the NASCAR drivers is vital to hold the thrill and enjoyment of the sport for both the driver and the viewers. To reassure the safety of NASCAR drivers the crafting of these NASCAR vehicles is a task that requires the dedication of many engineers, designers, and mechanics to perfect the vehicle before it hits the race track.
In a NASCAR racing car the seat holds the key to life and death of a NASCAR driver. It is equipped with special seat belts that wraps tightly around the drivers ribs and shoulders. An average car with airbags and seatbelts keep the driver and passengers protected during accidents happening at an average speed of 35-mph. NASCAR cars usually travel at a speed of 180 mph. Imagine the amount of energy that is in use here and also the amount of energy required to stop at this speed. Although this may seem impossible, it has already been accomplished. How else do you see NASCAR drivers walking away with minimum to no injuries during crashes?
The NASCAR car itself is a safety equipment for drivers. This racing car has a strong body of metal tubing enclosed in thin, metal sheeting. The front and rear clip are built from thinner steel tubing that will crush when the vehicle hits, and the middle section is designed strong enough to maintain its integrity during a crash, thereby protecting the driver. The car is designed to eradicate the force from the driver’s body during crashes. It is specially designed to crash and absorb lot of force giving other protection equipment like air bags and seat belts more time to slow down the driver’s body.
Another special feature in the design of this vehicle is that the front clip will shove the engine out of the base of the car-unlike other cars which push into the driver’s compartment when an accident occurs.
The seat is designed to hold the driver within the roll cage of the car, safe guard the driver from getting in touch with anything hard at the time of the crash and soak up some of the force of the colliding by bending. The seat is shaped as to enfold around the drivers rib cage, which offers some support during the crash, distributing the energy over the whole rib cage rather than letting it have the effect of the full force on a smaller area. Newer seats even drape around the drivers shoulders providing better support as the shoulders are durable and stronger than the rib cage.
These are just few of the factors that count towards the driver’s safety. The windows nets, roof flaps, windshield, fuel tank, restrictor plates, the fire-retardant suits are also few other factors which safe guard the NASCAR drivers in this thrilling but risky drive around the bend. |
