CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH ABOUT SAFETY
By Dan Sanchez, Editor
I 'm always learning something new every time we put together our annual Safety Issue. Not only does the technology change and adapt, but much of it is for off-road racing and the needs of our specific sport. Some of the things we learned this time around included a system called Mips that is used in motorcycle and bicycle helmets. In simple terms, it's a proprietary layer between the wearer's head and helmet that allows for some slippage to occur in an impact to reduce torsional trauma to the brain.
Another thing we learned in our research for this issue, is how far off-road racing seats have advanced. For Baja racers additional cooling and adjusting for driver changes are more readily available with multiple-sized pads that can be easily removed, and adjustable seat frames. Seat manufacturers are also adding cooling vents and pads, along with full cooling mechanisms that will make driving more comfortable.
While it always takes a lot of effort to contact safety equipment manufacturers, it's more difficult to try to come up with a cover image that exemplifies our off-road racing industry and that of safety manufacturers. Fortunately, our friends at Kar Tek, our local off-road racing retailer, and Safecraft fire suppression system manufacturer, helped us out by loaning us some products for our cover shoot, photographed by Jack Wright at nMedia3. A special thank you to these two entities for helping us showcase the best in Safety Gear and what's available.
