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Safety matters. Yes, it certainly does! Having recently witnessed first hand two crashes at the Hot Rod Drags a few weeks ago and then watched YouTube footage of Graham Ellis’ horrendous
accident during the National Finals at Santa Pod the following week, I’m moved to question the safety aspect of some of the cars we come across. Okay, you can argue that crashes such as these are not every day occurrences, and that you don’t take your car down the strip so it won’t happen to you. The truth is, however, no matter how safe a driver you may be, there is always the chance that another road user may be careless enough to instigate an accident involving your car. In each of the three instances mentioned, the driver was as well protected as possible, being tightly secured inside his safety cell. These rollcages certainly proved their worth, and the constructors of each of the cars should be congratulated on their workmanship. But what safety aspects have you built into your car? This question is particularly poignant if you drive a ’glass-bodied car. I’m not saying you need to run a full ’cage in your street car, but it’s not out of the realms of practicality to incorporate some form of roll hoop to offer basic protection to you and your passengers. Just spare a moment to think about the possible benefits of that, not least of which being a properly constructed hoop will provide substantial mounting points for the seat belts you don’t have either.