steve695

Hey all.

For starters, I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right section?


I do not understand why roll cages are illigal. All they do it make the car safer, a lot safer. I cannot think of anything they do to endanger the car.

Same for racing harnesses.

I just don't get it, and it bugs me. Driving a fast convertible, I really wouldn't mind having a roll cage, it would give a good sense of security and all it does is add safety.

So can anyone tell me, why are these things illigal?

Saki GT

First, its spelled illegal.


Also, what are you talking about exactly - who told you these things are illegal?

purplemonkeydishwasher

As for roll cages, they can actually do more damage than good on a street car.

If there is a roll over on street vehicle, hard steel tubing running over the driver and passengers head can actually cause significant trauma to the head. There are many pictures of this actually happening. Street vehicles are designed to crumple while roll cages are meant to add rigidity to the vehicle while providing some sort of barrier.

Reinforced steel tubes do not crumple or crush, but rather create load paths from the impact directly into the chassis (part of the reason why roll cages increase chassis rigidity so well). Most after market roll cages people have on their vehicles are for chassis rigidity (which they don't even do that well) and as such, they aren't FIA certified for safety. What this means is that in the event of a collision, the components behaviour on impact can bend, break, fracture, etc... and act as another component in the vehicle that will transfer force of impact from the car to the driver.

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As for racing harnesses, many people don't realize seat belt's actually have expiry dates (this goes for racing harnesses as well). Now, if you've had a car for 10 years, this is not to say that your seat belt will not help you. It is to say that however that safety restraints have an industry standard for manufacture, and a shelf life because of material durability and fatigue over time.

Installing a racing harness properly requires the use of a harness bar. If not installed properly, harness bars can come undone in the car rendering your seatbelt completely in effective and providing a solid object that can cause significant damage to the driver or passengers.

Safety is very regulated in motor sports and all safety devices must pass industry specs set forth by the FIA. Unfortunately, since there is no way to regulate the use of after market equipement like this, they are deemed illegal for your safety in mind. Sure, there are instances where they may help, but the probability that these things may cause more damage than good are higher for the average person.

steve695

Thanks a lot for that info! I didn't think of any of that stuff.

It all makes sense now.

But it still sucks

aCab

I've never heard of roll bars being illegal. I can understand harnesses. I've got a bar and harness in my car and have never had an issue. (knock on wood)

aCab

Just realized this pertained to cages, not bars - there's a difference between roll cages and roll bars

aklucsarits

I'm not sure of any states where roll cages are illegal for the street. But roll cages are not safe unless you are wearing the other safety gear that goes with it - e.g. A helmet to protect your head from hitting the bars and a harness to protect you from moving around too much to the point that you would impact the cage bars.

Harnesses are similar. They are not illegal on the street as far as I know. However, using a harness without a roll cage is dangerous because in the event of a rollover where the roof collapses, or a severe side impact where the passenger compartment is compromised, you are strapped directly to the seat and may not be able to "fold" or be pushed out of the way. You have a higher likelihood of ending up crushed in the seat you are strapped to as a result.

Andrew

Chris S

Also, if you were in a bad enough crash away from medical/safety crew, you might have more difficulty releasing yourself from the harness and escaping through the roll cage.

Harnesses and roll cages are designed to be used w/ helmets and race seats as integrated systems in a controlled environment, where help is on the way as soon as you have an incident. You couldn't pay me to run them on the street.

ahrmike

In my state, roll cages itself is NOT illegal on a street car (IIRC) but you're going to have a pain in the ass time trying to pass "recon" which is like a safety check but more intense. Head + roll CAGE = bad times. You WANT crumple zones also. I hit a tree in a Mini Baja project at my university doing roughly 30mph. No crumple zone. Car hits tree. Tree stops car dead in tracks. I fly forward, harness holds me back. My shin impact a badly placed steering support (which even had foam pieces on it!). I still have a HUGE scar on my shins. Any faster and I would have definitely broken it. Imagine getting Tboned by a car doing 35 and your head hitting an unpadded cage.

steve695

Yeah I see your point, thanks for clearing it up.

I didn't think of how dangerous a rigid shell can be, it all makes sense now.

The thought of a roll cage puts me off now and no longer worries me.