Tweet
SRP was asked to present to the SORC a presentation on Personal Protection Equipment at the APBA National Meeting a couple of weeks ago.
One of the issues we were asked was to respond to was 'what is the expected life expectancy of a cut suit?' and the short answer to that is it depends, based on how much use a suit gets, how it is cared for between races and what it goes thru in the course of its use. While some drivers go through them much faster, we at SRP like to think that after 5 years of use, a driver who runs maybe 1 or 2 classes at 15 races per year should give his/her suit a good hard look. At 7+ years, they probably needs to replace it regardless.
Attached below is an example of WHAT NOT TO WEAR. This is a cut suit that was returned to us with the request of "recovering it" (and for the record, you don't typically re-cover a cut suit. Just a lifejacket).
This suit has been raced very hard and at this point, is so worn that if it were involved in an accident where it encountered a prop or skid fin, it would likely provide NO PROTECTION AT ALL. We contacted the owner and told them that it's time to buy a new suit. He agreed, and he also consented to allow us to put these photos up.
I guess the only question that I have is to the safety inspectors: Are you aware that equipment in this condition is being raced? And why are you not stopping someone from racing in gear like this?
It's instances like this that create a good argument for mandatory recertification for all life jackets and cut suits every five years. If the inspectors are going to continue to allow gear like this to be worn in competition, then perhaps it should be left to the Manufacturers to decide what is safe and what is not.
R-19
One of the issues we were asked was to respond to was 'what is the expected life expectancy of a cut suit?' and the short answer to that is it depends, based on how much use a suit gets, how it is cared for between races and what it goes thru in the course of its use. While some drivers go through them much faster, we at SRP like to think that after 5 years of use, a driver who runs maybe 1 or 2 classes at 15 races per year should give his/her suit a good hard look. At 7+ years, they probably needs to replace it regardless.
Attached below is an example of WHAT NOT TO WEAR. This is a cut suit that was returned to us with the request of "recovering it" (and for the record, you don't typically re-cover a cut suit. Just a lifejacket).
This suit has been raced very hard and at this point, is so worn that if it were involved in an accident where it encountered a prop or skid fin, it would likely provide NO PROTECTION AT ALL. We contacted the owner and told them that it's time to buy a new suit. He agreed, and he also consented to allow us to put these photos up.
I guess the only question that I have is to the safety inspectors: Are you aware that equipment in this condition is being raced? And why are you not stopping someone from racing in gear like this?
It's instances like this that create a good argument for mandatory recertification for all life jackets and cut suits every five years. If the inspectors are going to continue to allow gear like this to be worn in competition, then perhaps it should be left to the Manufacturers to decide what is safe and what is not.
R-19
Comment