Increased Safety for Formula One Could Make Our Cars Better

Formula One is an exciting, fast-paced racing environment. Drivers compete in a series of races every season, with each race in a different part of the world. But, this exhilarating motorsport is often dangerous. Formula One has changed its regulations significantly over the years to prioritize driver safety. Here are a few of the major changes that have made Formula One safer!

Helmets

Would you believe that helmets weren’t always mandatory on the race track? Today, helmets are a large part of our lives and an obvious necessity even for riding a bike. But, helmets weren’t required for Formula One drivers when the races first began! The inclusion of helmets made Formula One much safer for drivers. Today, helmets are subjected to rigorous testing and are held to high standards to ensure the increased safety of the drivers.

Halo

The Halo is a frame that can be clearly seen in front of the car’s cockpit. The inclusion of the Halo on Formula One cars has already saved many lives, and will continue to be an important safety staple for years to come. The Halo is designed to prevent debris from flying into the driver during the race. It also keeps the driver protected in the event of a collision where one car ends up on top of another. In this type of situation, the Halo takes the force of the impact instead of the driver’s head. Therefore, the Halo is an important addition to the Formula One safety regulations, one that will continue to save lives in future races.

Safety Car

The safety car is deployed when there is an accident on the track or if the cars need to be careful on the track for any reason. During a safety car, every driver follows behind the safety car, which keeps the Formula One cars at a safer, lower speed while the obstacles or debris on the track are cleared. The Safety Car presents some issues for drivers, such as maintaining tire temperature and grip. However, the overall safety benefits of the safety car far outweigh any minor issues that drivers might face, and teams have come up with solutions to the problems that the safety car might present.

Today’s Cars

Did you know that some safety advances in Formula One cars have become standard practice in the cars you drive every day? Also, did you know that data from Formula One and more could be useful to discover more important safety concerns for common roads, like what time of day do most car accidents happen? Therefore, safety advances need to keep moving forward in raceways like Formula One in order for the cars that we drive every day to become safer.

Formula One is an often dangerous, but exciting racing environment. Drivers take on impossibly fast speeds and often difficult racing conditions to come out on top and win the season. The nature of Formula One means that there is danger on the track, but thankfully, there have been many new safety advances to keep drivers safer than ever!

Featured Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash