cage rules ?

[Valver.]

A cage makes getting you out of a wreck a damned sight harder. That's the primary reason for the restrictions.

It's generally a lot harder to get out of a crushed, cageless wreck than one that has kept a bit of structural integrity after a crash!

[Preen59]

It's generally a lot harder to get out of a crushed, cageless wreck than one that has kept a bit of structural integrity after a crash!

Yeah, it's easier to get out of the hole in the side of the car where the door used to be if it isn't covered by the roof!

I can't understand the reasoning behind some of the RTA/RAC etc's rules.

[Jarred]

Especially on such old cars (as ours) side intrusion bars would defiantly save your life.

Modern cars it's not so bad. But there ain't much to a mk 1 door! 3mm steel outer skin, and the inner frame is pretty flimsy!

[Preen59]

3mm outer skin?!

Try 1.2mm

[dangerous_daveo]

Bit more to this. Yes a cage in a fully preped race car, with all emergency services at the ready and everyone going around the track in the same direction is safer. Basically all the other drivers know whats going on, the medical dudes can get there asap, and the rest of the safety gear is designed to suit. IE, the seats, seat belts, etc etc.

However in a road car, its a LOT different. There are many more variables. Trees, light poles, cars coming from every direction. The car is a road car, so it has road car safety features, ie normal seat belts, normal seats, crumple zones. Then there the chances of a high speed crash are much much lower. A slow speed acco, with no fire suit, no helmet on, and a cage. Its got much more potential to be a hinderence than save you.

Either way, go back and do the sums. Chances are you will find having a road car as a track car (set up to that level) is a false economy. Just strip it, buy a tow ball and a trailer.

Like I mean, wearing a helmet and a fire suit everywhere must be safer. But like hell you are going to do that. (unless you have a pinto...)

[Spec83]

A cage makes getting you out of a wreck a damned sight harder. That's the primary reason for the restrictions.

Also, the reason cages arn't really user friendly is because the effect they have on the cruple zones built into the car by default.

These crupmle zones are designed to dissapate energy in a crash.

If you add extra stiffness into the body (by way of a cage) you change the way the energy disspates. Instead of the door and piller crumpling for example, the energy is dissapated in other ways, which may in an extreme case mean your car rolls 4-5 times instead of two... Along with this, comes the possibility of taking out more innocent road users