Head and Neck Restraints Tested: Wayne State University officials conducted crash tests Tuesday on a new HANS device, a Hutchens device and a new head restraint called a D-cel. Ken Adams, company director at Hubbard-Downing, which produces the HANS, said company officials used the test to try out a new attachment to the helmet that is supposed to make it easier for drivers to hook and unhook the tethers to the helmet. Adams said the new attachment also is stronger and lighter. Once the new piece passes the test, Adams said the company is ready to add those to their head-and-neck restraints. The D-cel being tested is a new head-and-neck restraint device. It’s made by Safety Solutions, which now makes the Hutchens device. The D-cel device wraps around the driver and relies on the pelvis to anchor the system. The harness does not hook into the lap belt as the Hutchens device does. So far, the only head-and-neck restraints approved by NASCAR are the HANS and the Hutchens device.(Roanoke Times)(6-26-2002)
