Safety question, re: historics, vintage, etc.

L

lee_fjellanger

Well-known member
Here is a scary still photo
(late 1950s cars, bad crash, NO seat belt, driver flying):

http://ffffound.com/image/99b7c33636e1f12019cb40776b54a3f8c5288973

Here is a video of it:
http://www.motorsportmad.com/view/3817/goodwood-crash-how-the-hell-did-he-survive-this

So, the accident was in 2000, in the UK, at the
Goodwood Revival Meeting.
(No fatality!!)

Obviously in SCCA and ICSCC we require good safety
equipment in all cars.
What are the rules about the historics and vintage
and all other similar things?
 
Lee,

Wow, up until seat belts were mandated in Formula One in 1972, shot like that were, sadly, all too common. Many drivers prior to that time felt they were better off being ejected from the car rather then being moshed in the metal.

Upon being asked the question as to why he literally JUMPED from the car when a crash was imminent, Maston Gregory once said "You should have seen where I was headed!"

The guy in your photo has fantastic form. Hope he survived the landing with minimul damage on the grass.

At least for SOVREN, they DO require harness's just as they require a 'good' helmet. No leather aviator helmets allowed (like the old days). HOWEVER, as you have probably noticed, they DO also allow 'period correct' role bars which in some cases, are totally useless.

P.S.
I was once 'ejected' from an MG TD like that back in the 1950's when I rolled it on a blind 90 degree curve cresting a hill while racing a TR-3 on the back roads of Arizona. Car came down on the running board with my head under the door (no helmet) and the car rocking back and forth on the running board and my head. Guess that's part of why I'm so weird.

P.P.S.
There was just as much resistance among the drivers to mandated belts as there is today with the SCCA's decision to MANDATE H&N devices beginning in January, 2012.
 
Last edited:
As I understand as to survived (and other info):
"Additional info:-
The car was a Ferrari Dino 246 V12 Tasman.
The race was the Richmond & Gordon Trophy
He broke 20 bones, including his back and punctured both lungs. He
recovered and raced again a year later but retired for good the same
day."

Meanwhile, I tend to recall that seatbelts in F1 became required
at least as early as 1963.
But bracketing the target the other way, IIRC, at the US GP F1 WDC
at Riverside in 1960, the US rules required seat belts be
installed on the cars, Stirling Moss had to accept that rule,
but wanted it very clear that he was not going to wear / use it.
(And after looking at enough pictures of cars he had been in
prior to the wreck, he indeed might have been safer = outside!)
 
Lee, Stewart fought for many safety issues, including seat belts in the mid to late 60's, so no mandated belts before that time. His big thing of of course was decent medical at all tracks, which was pretty much non-existent back then.

Merry Christmas
 
Ok, I'm understanding this a bit clearer now.
"1963-65: = rollbar; double braking system; rules for seatbelt anchorages,
1968: Recommendations on seat harnesses, fire-resistant clothing,
1972: 6-point harness. Drivers' Code of Conduct published."
So, I guess it appears that the "seatbelt anchorages" were specified
long before the use was required.

One interesting thing is the variety of where higher safety standards
comes from. So local (SCCA & ICSCC) required belt use by late 1960s,
and F1 did not (although, plenty of F1 drivers did wear belts in 69).
But Head and Neck Restraint required at F1 early, later NASCAR, still later local.

But more back to the original question, could a person drive a
older car at the Pacific Historics 4th of July weekend with NO belts?

And Merry Christmas to all.
 
This is Rick, not Jeff. I'm letting his dogs out.

SOVREN:

Section 1. of their GCR's
"The points covered at technical and safety inspection shall be:"

Paragraph 1.5.1 - Technical and Safety Inspection:

M. Seat belts and shoulder harness conforming to the specifications of Appendix Y of the GCR.

I cannot recall seeing a car without belts. The 'most likely' candidate would be Tazio Nuvolari's Talbot-Lago and I just cannot recall if it has belts or not. I'm thinking it does.l
 
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