HANS devices

Hans device sales

Find all the Hans devices available on Oreca-Store.com, the motorsport specialist. These devices are very safe and absolutely necessary in many motorsport disciplines to gain in comfort and safety.

What is the Hans device for?

The Hans device was developed in the United States in the mid-1980s by Dr Robert Hubbard (1943-2019), a professor of biomechanics at Michigan State University, to prevent cervical spine injuries known as "whiplash" in severe frontal collisions. The simple idea is that the driver is held firmly in the seat by a harness at the chest and pelvis, keeping his or her head at shoulder level in the event of a head-on collision. The first patent application was filed by Hubbard in 1985 and the patent was granted in 1987. Funding was established and the first prototype was ready in 1989 and underwent crash testing at Wayne State University using a crash test dummy. The system was launched in the late 1990s, although the first examples were sold as early as 1991. These early models were very bulky, with a sort of collar extending from one side of the helmet to the other. Crash testing became more sophisticated and the data collected more accurate with the involvement of General Motors, which launched a motorsport safety programme in 1992, and with funding from Ford in 1995.

On the European side, Mika Hakkinen's Formula One accident during practice at the 1995 Adelaide Grand Prix, where he hit a tyre barrier at full speed, breaking his skull, prompted the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to launch a specific safety programme to protect the driver's head in the event of an impact. Airbags are being studied, but the most successful Hans device has been left to fit the narrow cockpit and limitations of single-seaters. Officially presented to the Formula 1 teams in April 2001, the system was finally made mandatory from the 2003 season.

In the United States, it was first adopted by the CART single-seater series in 2000 before becoming mandatory in NASCAR in 2002.

The Hans device is now mandatory in the following FIA sanctioned international events: Formula One World Championship, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, World Rallycross Championship, World Touring Car Cup, World Off-Road Rally Cup, formerly the FIA GT Championship and World Touring Car Championship, and other championships. It is widely used in many other categories, including single-seater racing.

Which Hans device to choose?

The Stand 21 brand offers several models of Hans devices on Oreca-Store. Depending on the level of safety, weight, comfort and lightness you require, you can choose one of the following models:

• Hans Club Series System
• Hans Racing Series 2 System
• Hans Club Series 3 System
• System Hans Hi-Tec Series
• Hans Ultimate System