Roll cages in daily's - are you guys insane??


_JT

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 1, 2008
Messages
3,579
I see so many people with roll cages in their daily. NOFI. But are you guys insane? Got some kinda deathwish? :shocked: If you get into an accident with enough g-forces, you'll have your skull smashed to bits! Belts are made to flex, to prevent deceleration injuries so not matter if you got a harness or not, the danger is still there. It's not for fun or looks that profi drivers wear helmets in their roll-caged car!
 
That's why I went for a half cage & profi asm harnesses...
 
Hey, I drive a superbike in central London everyday. If I was worried about crashing and really hurting myself, I sure as hell wouldn't do that!

Being safe is boring.
 
would your head not need to be pretty high up to hit it off the cage? For example if you use a fixed bucket seat you sit a lot lower in the car, more likely to hit your head of the window i'd imagine. I know you can buy roll cage padding aswell no idea if it makes a difference. I'd just like to add i have no personal experience with roll cages
 
i would rather hit my head off a well padded cage than than the hard plastic that covers the steel of the car

true story
 
would your head not need to be pretty high up to hit it off the cage? For example if you use a fixed bucket seat you sit a lot lower in the car, more likely to hit your head of the window i'd imagine. I know you can buy roll cage padding aswell no idea if it makes a difference. I'd just like to add i have no personal experience with roll cages
 
But a full cage is much closer to your head than the (much thinner) steel of the car itself. With a cage there is way less clearance.
 
I drive around in a eg6 with a full welded roll cage strapped into a bucket seat with a 6-point belt.

Even if I wanted to hit my head on the roll cage I couldn't.
I'm totally (s)trapped into the seat....:)....no possibility to even reach the cage!
 
I drive around in a eg6 with a full welded roll cage strapped into a bucket seat with a 6-point belt.

Even if I wanted to hit my head on the roll cage I couldn't.
I'm totally (s)trapped into the seat....:)....no possibility to even reach the cage!
Not on your own no. But with 60g's from an accident backing you up on that, you will. As I said, belts are designed to flex to prevent deceleration injury. Here a quote from someone on another board:

I raced Dirt track cars for a few years... you know the kind with cages and HELMETS! In my car, in a racing seat that basically hugs you tight with 5pt harness. A cage built for impact. Built for safety. Sitting in teh car, strapped in tight, I can not move at all without the seat moving. I can't hit my knees on anyhting but the inside knee protector, and my helmet will not contact any part of the roll bar. I didn't use arm straps, which could have saves a few sore arms. I've been in several wrecks though where my helmet smacked off a rollbar, my arms smacking off the door bars, and my left kneee smacking off the door bars. All things that I could not do just sitting in the car with just the force of my own will trying to hit them. My door bars had so much padding on them they looked like pillows, and there were still wrecks where I banged my left knee or arm (if I couldn't hold the steering wheel hard enough). times I had concusssions from banging my head on roll bars and couldn't walk half the week cause my knee was so bruised. Yes these were pretty violent crashes but what exactly do you think it's going to feel like if someone runs a red light and drills you from the side? aside from being T boned right in the door where you will likely be seriously injured with or without a cage, it's going to hurt bad or be fatal when your skull gets crushed by that round steel.
 
And what do you think will happen when you are driving in a normal car and being in a 60g accident.....you will also stretch.....and the plastic you are going to hit your head on will do the same.

Plus....I don't think your organs are going to like a 60g stopping anyway.

Plus, the only place I could (even with stretching) hit my head is on the left top side (the bar over the door).
And that would mean a really serious sideways accident.....which I probably wouldn't survive anyway.
 
Last edited:
what about convertables? Like the S2000, that has thin metal bars all the way around the roof? or even better, The actual metal from the other car that ploughs into you.

I dont think there is much more risk involved in driving a daily with a cage than driving a normal car with no cage, i know what i would rather have if i rolled it though
 
A well padded cage wont cause you any injury at all. No matter what speed your head hit's it it still shouldnt cause that much damage. Hitting your head hard on a padded cage is probably like hitting your head when wearing a helmet...helmets save lifes. Maybe a bare cage will hurt!

When i crashed a civic my head smashed through the drivers side window...didnt hit no metal!
 
Taken from Saxperience

SL381077.jpg


SL381082.jpg


SL381085.jpg


Il say rollcages are good for track and road use. After all it saved his life as he walked away
 
The fact that someone walked away from that shows you what good they can do...That being a much frowned upon bolt in cage aswell!
 
arent they designed to keep the built shape when in an impact therefore providing a ough shell around you. tbh i would prefer to have that around me than nothing at all. the padding is designed to protect you when you hit the bar
 
Seems like nobody agrees with me....I just hope I never get proven right since I like you guys too much :p

Plus....I don't think your organs are going to like a 60g stopping anyway.
Yeah, thats why harnesses stretch ;)

what about convertables? Like the S2000, that has thin metal bars all the way around the roof? or even better, The actual metal from the other car that ploughs into you.
What about that?

A well padded cage wont cause you any injury at all. No matter what speed your head hit's it it still shouldnt cause that much damage. Hitting your head hard on a padded cage is probably like hitting your head when wearing a helmet...helmets save lifes. Maybe a bare cage will hurt!

When i crashed a civic my head smashed through the drivers side window...didnt hit no metal!
I'd say, read my quote again :)

Taken from Saxperience
<pics>

Il say rollcages are good for track and road use. After all it saved his life as he walked away
Yeah. There are also instances known where people died from actually wearing a seatbelt. But that doesn't mean the effect the other way around is much bigger. Who says it isn't with this?
 
#
What about that?

Thats like saying everyone who drives convertable has a deathwish aswell though, or a small car like an old mini that will just crumple in an accident
 
Ive never heard of any injuries though, I have even seen dreaded 'showcages' hold up in a crash and do its job.
Granted if you buy one made of tinfoil it can shear and not leave a happy ending, but its the age old saying of you get what you pay for.

JT do you have any evidence to support your view?

:) < just to show im only expressing opinion and not looking for an E-argument lol
 
Thats like saying everyone who drives convertable has a deathwish aswell though
Why's that? There are a few different things you can mean by that, I'd like to know what it is :)

or a small car like an old mini that will just crumple in an accident
Wouldn't call it a deathwish, but there isn't any metal object that can withstand so much g's on which you can crack open your skull :p

JT do you have any evidence to support your view?
No I haven't, except for professionals (not only the guy I quoted) that say you should never do it. Thats why I opened this thread. Maybe we should all get some money together and test it? :D

On the other hand, it has never been tested (afaik) so my point is not disproven. I do not doubt that cages improve safety in certain situations and with a helmet and padding probably every situation. I just don't think that the decrease in safety because of the risk of cracking your skull, is smaller than the gains.
 
Back
Top