HANS & Head Restraints

HANS Devices & Head Restraints — Critical Head and Neck Protection

The Head and Neck Support — universally known by the HANS acronym of the original patented design — is the most significant advance in motorsport driver safety of the past three decades. In a frontal impact without head restraint, the forces acting on the helmet-mass of the driver's head are resisted by the neck alone — producing the tensile and shear loading that causes the catastrophic basilar skull fractures that claimed many motorsport lives before HANS adoption became mandatory. The HANS device, anchored to the driver's shoulders through the safety harness and connected to the helmet via tethers, limits forward head movement in an impact and distributes the deceleration force across the torso rather than allowing it to load the neck in tension.

With 57 HANS and head restraint products from HANS, RaceQuip, Simpson Racing, and Stilo — the leading names in head restraint engineering — our range covers devices appropriate for the full range of motorsport applications from club racing through professional FIA-sanctioned competition.

HANS — The Original and Still the Standard

The HANS device from Hubbard/Downing remains the gold standard in head restraint engineering — the original design around which FIA and SFI standards were written, and the device against which all competitors are measured. Available in multiple post angle configurations — 20°, 30°, and deeper angles for oval and other specific applications — and in standard, sport, and ultra-lightweight materials for weight-conscious competition applications. The correct post angle selection depends on driving position and the specific motorsport discipline.

Certification Requirements — Mandatory in Most Disciplines

FIA-licensed events have required HANS or equivalent head restraint devices for all competitors above a certain speed threshold for many years, and domestic sanctioning bodies have progressively introduced similar requirements. The device must be certified to either FIA 8858 or SFI 38.1 standards — and the anchor clips attaching it to the helmet must be rated for the specific helmet model being used. Check the requirements of your specific class before purchasing.

Chest Protectors and Neck Braces

Chest protectors and energy-absorbing neck braces serve complementary protection functions — providing impact absorption and structural support in accidents where HANS may not be the primary protection solution, or as supplementary protection in disciplines where full HANS adoption isn't practical.