Features that can improve safety?

Lee Yue Yang · 18 Mar 2003, 14:41 (Ref:540165)

I've just been karting today with some friends and while we were in a single file,the guy infront of me spun(I was in the middle.I managed to avoid him but the guy behind me wasn't so lucky.He hit the stranded kart's right rear wheel and went air-borne.The kart then flipped in the air and he got thrown out.This incident set me thinking if there were any features that could be added to a kart to make it safer?Any suggestions?Thanks.

yelodwg · 18 Mar 2003, 15:25 (Ref:540224)

Lee Yue, yes there is!! A wider rear bumper! I assume he had the normal width bumper that leaves the rear wheels exposed. I have a photo of what I'm talking about on my site:

www.kartfinder.com/bumper.htm

Tom Stephens
www.kartfinder.com

Webslinger · 18 Mar 2003, 15:34 (Ref:540234)

Thankfully really serious injuries are rare in karting, but I would reckon being thrown out of the kart once it starts to, shall we say 'rotate', would be the better option. I would rather take my chances away from the kart, since the thought of having 100+kgs landing on top of me does not appeal...

yelodwg · 18 Mar 2003, 16:04 (Ref:540249)

Webslinger, I agree!!! But I have seen wayyy too many pictures of upside-down karts coming to rest on top of drivers

speedy king · 18 Mar 2003, 16:37 (Ref:540274)

I have always said, whatever the speed, if i am turned upside down i would much rather fall out and perhaps have some broosing etc. than having a VERY heavy Rotax Max land on me, could easily brake your back. I always wera a neck protector too

Webslinger · 18 Mar 2003, 20:45 (Ref:540502)

Yeah, yelodwg, over the years I have also seen a few too many as well. Man and machine do seem to have a magnetic attraction for one another when things go wrong...

Like speedy king, I have tried a neck protector, but it does seem to restrict blood flow in my neck? I tend now to go without the neck protector, although I do wear a body belt to protect my back and ribs. The last time a damaged by lower back a couple of years ago, it took 9-months of physio and pain killers to put right again. It is not something that I am not too keen on repeating.

yelodwg · 18 Mar 2003, 20:57 (Ref:540509)

Webslinger, I also wear a neck protector, but I don't even notice it while driving. I race 100CC HPV, so maybe you run something with more power, where you might feel the neck protector more?

I actually did notice it a few months ago, when a guy spun in front of me and I hit him as I was trying to scrub off speed by spinning sideways. My head moved to the left, but my neck collar stopped my helmet's movement

Tom

speedy king · 18 Mar 2003, 21:25 (Ref:540545)

Ye, neck protectors can also save your colour bones, it's not impossible for the edge of your helmet to brake through your colour bone, however wearing a neck protector minimises that risk dramatically.

The only problem i have ever had with mine was when i first wore it and found i couldn't have as much movement in my head, but i got used to it, i now can't bear not wearing it, it makes me feel un safe

avsfan733 · 19 Mar 2003, 03:43 (Ref:540841)

I wear the belt to and it is a feeling of doing something if nothing else. WhenI designed my new kart I had just these types of incidents in mind and designed it with a low front bumber and a high rear one. I also incorporated a small rollbar in the rear headrest that might absorb some of the blow if I wear to ever roll it. I race enduros, so The steering wheel makes it less likelyt for me to get thrown

Lee Yue Yang · 19 Mar 2003, 06:29 (Ref:540875)

Yes.It is definitely better to get thrown out then to have a kart land on you.When I posted the question,I was asking more about features that can be incorporated into the kart like the wider rear bumper that Yelodwg suggested.

stevie.murray · 19 Mar 2003, 13:38 (Ref:541158)

uk and europe racing karts all have wider rear bumpers as
you's would say,but these are fitted as standard regulation
safety requirements.no driver would be aloud to race with those that some other countries seem to odopt..I've seen them they fit between the rear wheels.not good..some of you
must have been rear-ended by another driver(hey!that's racing)where did you land,what damage to your kart,how many
bruises,.get the wider bumpers fitted a.s.a.p
if you are worried about the extra wieght diet for a wee while.lol!!lol!! be safe...

yelodwg · 19 Mar 2003, 16:53 (Ref:541312)

Lee Yue, if you can't find a wider rear bumper in Singapore, you can have one fabricated, or you can try to locate some dealers in the UK who may sell the type of kart you are racing. And since the UK requires the wider bumpers, the dealers will carry them. Watch out for the shipping costs, though...ouch!

Oh, one more thing, different chassis manufacturers have different specifications for the bumper specs, for example, the distance between the chassis end tubes can be different.

Tom

JimW · 17 Apr 2003, 15:40 (Ref:572198)

Quote:

This incident set me thinking if there were any features that could be added to a kart to make it safer?Any suggestions?

Bigger wheels, seatbelts, rollcage and a roof.

No, sorry, just realised which forum this was in.

But, more seriously, do you not worry more about being run into than having 100kgs (is a kart really that heavy?

) land on you. Both bad news but some of the nastiest incidents I have dealt with (as a marshal/rescue crew member) have involved vehicle/people contact, not driver/road. I am assuming that this is because of the angle of impact is ususlly much less for driver/road, i.e. there is an element of sliding, which is, comparatively speaking, better than impact and sharp stop.

So if you are out of the kart more of you is more exposed to being run into.

Just my twopennorth.

Regards

Jim

speedy king · 18 Apr 2003, 10:19 (Ref:572975)

My Rotax weighs 147KG with me in it

Lee Yue Yang · 18 Apr 2003, 15:20 (Ref:573250)

Quote:

But, more seriously, do you not worry more about being run into than having 100kgs (is a kart really that heavy? ) land on you.

Getting run into is worse but having a kart landing on you is pretty bad too.Although I don't think karts weigh as much as that.

Lee

yelodwg · 18 Apr 2003, 16:13 (Ref:573297)

My Arrow kart weighs 83 Kg with lead to make weight and 71 kg without. That's without me in it of course

This is with my 100cc HPV engine.

The next engine I would like to have is a Parilla Leopard. But to make the weight, I'd have to add another 18 Kg of lead. And for safety reasons, in case of a flip and the kart landing on top of me, I just don't want to do that. That would equal 101 Kg with the lead, so 100 Kg, easy!

Ok, I'm a lightweight guy - 68 Kg. This means I have to add lead to make weight, which does equal things out for the heavier drivers. Makes sense. EXCEPT from a safety standpoint, as with us lightweight guys (or gals), it can be very dangerous if a kart weighing 1 1/2 times our weight lands on top of us. For a heavier driver without the lead, the kart will weigh the same or less than the driver him/herself.

Tom Stephens
www.kartfinder.com
www.tvracer.com

JimW · 18 Apr 2003, 18:17 (Ref:573398)

I'll never try to push, much less lift, one of you weighty lot again!

But I still think that, given the choice, having your kart on top is better (not good) than being run into by 100kg at 100 mph.

Best of all, neither.

Good luck to all.

Jim

Lee Yue Yang · 9 May 2003, 15:25 (Ref:594680)

Quote:

Originally posted by yelodwg
if you can't find a wider rear bumper in Singapore, you can have one fabricated, or you can try to locate some dealers in the UK who may sell the type of kart you are racing. And since the UK requires the wider bumpers, the dealers will carry them. Watch out for the shipping costs, though...ouch!Tom

One of my friend sells them.So I can safely avoid the shipping costs

.Think it is going to be compulsory to use the wider rear bumper from next season on.

speedy king · 10 May 2003, 10:19 (Ref:595239)

Thats good. I was racing at Ellough Park Raceway on Monday (UK) and we all have wide rear bumpers. But they still didn't stop me from being launched in to the air in a first corner smash up. But i guess that sort of thing will always happen. I didn't tip over though, which i good!

Wider bumpers are ALOT more safer though!

yelodwg · 10 May 2003, 14:48 (Ref:595398)

Lee Yue, let us know how your bumper turns out!

Speedy King, I've seen photos of launches occurring with the wider bumpers. How did yours happen?

Tom Stephens
www.kartfinder.com
www.tvracer.com

bart_jacobs · 10 May 2003, 21:20 (Ref:595686)

Today, a boy was run into by another kart at Genk. It wasn't a pretty sight, i can garantee you that, if you are hit by a kart, the lower part of your body (legs-feet,e.a) can get heavily wounded... Oh, the boy who crashed his kart into the boy broke his collarbone...

Lee Yue Yang · 12 May 2003, 10:44 (Ref:596730)

Ooh!Sounds pretty bad!How on earth did the boy in the kart hit the other boy??Is the boy who got hit ok?

speedy king · 12 May 2003, 15:14 (Ref:597016)

Quote:

Originally posted by yelodwg
Lee Yue, let us know how your bumper turns out!

Speedy King, I've seen photos of launches occurring with the wider bumpers. How did yours happen?

Tom Stephens
www.kartfinder.com
www.tvracer.com

There was a multiple kart pile up on the pit straight in to turn one on the first lap, i braked to avoid the carnage but the kart got sideways and i thouched wheels and got launched in to the air

bart_jacobs · 12 May 2003, 17:02 (Ref:597129)

He was picking his kart out of the kitty-litter with his dad... There were no yellow flags waved, as it was a practice...

Lee Yue Yang · 13 May 2003, 09:11 (Ref:597692)

Oh...

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