Why NASCAR doesn’t have airbags?

NASCAR has been around since 1949 and, over the years, has gone through some drastic changes. The sport has kept on developing in almost all its areas, and one such vital area is the safety of drivers. While several motorsports racing categories use airbags to keep their drivers safe, the same is not the case for NASCAR.

In modern times, racing cars have developed massively in terms of power, speed, etc., and because of this fact, it has become extremely crucial to ensure the safety of the drivers. Moreover, while racing, NASCAR drivers need a clear view, and the airbags function in such a way that it could create problems for the drivers.

In order to tackle such a problem, innovation has played an extremely crucial role. Modern NASCAR cars are durable and capable of taking hits and bumps while racing. Secondly, the safety measures around driver safety have also gone through massive changes that have made airbags an obsolete concept in the sport.

The NASCAR drivers have safety features like advanced seats, HANS devices, roof flaps, and window nets to keep them safe. Race seats are made of carbon fiber that can absorb shock during crashes. Moreover, they are designed in such a way that they are also able to protect the driver’s rib cage and shoulder area. HANS devices, on the other hand, are specifically designed to stop backward motion that offers protection from whiplash injuries.

When it comes to the roof flaps, they are put in place to make sure that the NASCAR cars don’t go flying into the air or go flipping off the track. The aerodynamic feature becomes a lifesaver, especially when a high-speed race car spins out of control, and the airlift causes it to go airborne. The flaps work so that they disrupt the airflow to mitigate lift and optimize the downforce.

The last is the window nest, and its sole purpose is to ensure that the driver’s arms and head are inside the car during crashes. All this is down to the advancement in technology, and had innovation not made its way into NASCAR; the sport would most probably not have been able to become a global phenomenon.

Discover: Who is the first female driver to win a NASCAR race?

What are the other major safety measures in NASCAR

While all the above-mentioned features play a key role in ensuring the safety of NASCAR drivers, there are quite a few additional measures that help immensely in achieving the same objective. First up are the race suits; they have been around since the inaugural race of the sport, but the modern race suits are way safer compared to the suits of older times.

Secondly, there are spotters in NASCAR, and this is a concept that is not seen in many other racing categories. Their main aim is to ensure the safety of the drivers by relaying crucial information to the drivers through the radio. Lastly, the NASCAR tracks have safety barriers that go through safety checks before the start of every race.

Without the safety barriers, it is impossible to stage high-speed NASCAR races. Because they are the ones who absorb the bulk of the impact when drivers crash their cars, NASCAR as a sport has become safer than ever, and with the rate at which technological advancement is taking place, it can only become safer.

In case you missed it:

• Why is Kyle Larson called Yung Money?
• Who is the most famous NASCAR driver in history?

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW