Rollover Protection

The need for rollover protection was becoming clear to race teams and organisers alike (See right) . Often during a rollover, the car suffered minimal damage, yet the driver would be seriously injured or killed. Rollover protection was introduced as mandatory, but what constituted rollover protection was not clear. Sports saloons, or modified road cars were almost twice as likely to invert during an accident, yet the driver was half as likely to be injured in the accident. In sports saloons, the body of the car provided protection for the occupant. Rollover protection and a driver restraint system needed to be developed together for the best results. This would ensure the driver remained within the vehicle and that the vehicle would protect them from rollover injury.



Many of the cars had roll-bars that were enough to pass the inspections but would have been inadequate in a rollover situation, either being made too lightly, not being high enough or both (see photograph on right)



The first roll bars often collapsed during rollovers, an unacceptable situation placing the driver at great risk. It wasn't until the death of Ferrari driver Lorenzo Bandini during the Monaco Grand Prix in 1967, that roll bars were taken seriously. Had Bandini not suffered the rollover injuries he did, he may have been able to escape the resulting fire, the fire causing the injuries that killed him. From that race on, Ferrari Formula One cars were fitted with strong, high roll bars, a feature quickly copied by the other teams. A major incident also triggered a rethink of roll cages in Australia's touring cars. At Bathurst in 1969, Bill Brown rolled his car along a fence, totally flattening the roof. The fence was crushing the roof in front of the single roll bar. Although he walked away, this incident led to the introduction of bars coming forward to protect the driver's head.

Jackie Stewart was one of the pioneers of motor sport safety in the 1960's. He appeared to have a very strong interest in his own well being. Back when seatbelts were not worn and roll bars were seen as bad for the aerodynamics, Stewart made sure that he was strapped in tightly and had a roll bar above his head. He was one of the first drivers to wear fire resistant clothing and also wore a fire resistant mask under his helmet that protected his face from fire. While these things may seem normal today, in the 1960's he was seen as being over cautious. Whilst he may have been over cautious in his racing equipment, his performances on the track soon proved his worth. Everything Jackie Stewart had in his car to protect him became mandatory by the mid 1970's.

Peter Brock, here in Australia, was one of the new generation of motor racers. He was not one of the drivers being forced to wear restraints after being without them for so long. He had always strapped himself tightly into his cars from a very early age, not so much for safety, but because he felt more in control of the vehicle, being a part of it. The local racing scene he joined was very basic. The cars had standard suspension, engines and good quality road tyres, but nothing else. You were allowed to replace the standard drivers seat with a more supportive racing seat and that was about all. Most of the cars were road registered and actually driven to each race.

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