Why don’t NASCAR cars have airbags?

NASCAR drivers drive at insane speeds for most of the year They put their lives on line often getting into wrecks while trying to extract the best possible results out of the car they are given. NASCAR cars are toned down versions of road cars, they are modified heavily from their consumer counterparts. However, at speeds which are sure to cause a lethal accident in case of a small error, the drivers have to be extra secure. NASCAR and other forms of motorsports have witnessed many deaths over time which have led to the increase in safety precautions.

The NASCAR SAFER walls are an example of driver’s safety precautions which were added to NASCAR after the death of drivers due to heavy crashes with the barriers. The SAFER walls are designed in a way to reduce impact transferred to the driver in case of crashes at high speeds. In the 2024 season Joey Logano was penalized heavily for using gloves which were modified for creating an advantage during qualifying performances. NASCAR officials came forward to explain the importance of not tampering with gloves.

Absence of Airbags in NASCAR

A consumer car’s greatest safety device in case of a crash is the airbag, it prevents the driver from smashing their head in front due to the impact of the shock. The airbag inflates at an explosive rate to stop the driver’s head and keeps it in place during a crash. An airbag relies on sensors which detect an event and relay it to the mechanism responsible for the inflation.

This mechanism, while ingenious, can be extremely difficult to implement in the compact and sophisticated cockpit of NASCAR cars. For example, NASCAR cars often use bump drafting and there are many minor crashes that occur throughout the race. While these crashes cannot do any harm to the driver or his race, the sudden deployment of airbags can distract him and cause him to crash.

But, it's not like NASCAR would let its drivers race unsafely and put their lives at risk because they can’t implement airbags in the car. They have much better safety mechanics in place of airbags for the drivers. The biggest and most prominent safety device is the Carbon fiber seat which absorbs the bulk of the shock and extends towards the rib cage of the driver to help him in case of the crash and prevent him from bearing the bulk of the crash.

The next safety device is the six-point harness seat belt system that doesn’t let the driver move in combination with the stiff roll cage present in the cars. The harness seat belt system is so tight that in general conditions the driver cannot open it themselves. However, the harness system can be opened in an instant with the flick of their wrist if they have to exit the car in case of an emergency. The 6 point harness system is used in most forms of motorsports and is an age-old safety measure for the driver.

The last safety system which is a direct replacement of the airbags, is called HANS, i.e., Head and Neck Safety device. Dale Earnhardt’s death was a major factor in pushing HANS device to mainstream NASCAR racing. The HANS device is an integrated device in the seat which uses sensors and restrictions to force the driver’s head in place and keep it safe from shocks or crashing into the dashboard.