By Adam Tate, Associate Editor
After revealing the findings from Fernando Alonso’s massive crash in the season opening Australian Grand Prix, the FIA has announced its intention to introduce a system of biometric testing to further understand future crash data in order to make the sport safer.
The findings show that when Alonso’s McLaren made intial contact with the Haas of Esteban Gutierrez he was traveling at 305 kph, and once the front suspension collapsed the ensuing impact with the wall hit a peak of 45G’s. The barrel rolling that followed led to another impact of 46G’s during which Alonso’s helmet came into contact with the left side head rest twice, which pinged the highest readings from his in ear accelerometer.
The new for 2016 rear facing camera took multiple pictures of Alonso at the rate of one every hundredth of a second and proved crucial in the analysis of the incident.
General Manager of Research for the Global Institute of Motor Sport Safety, Laurent Meekies see’s more cameras, the halo and biometric systems as a logical next step from the rear facing camera used in Alonso’s crash.
Speaking to the FIA’s Auto magazine, Meekies was confident and excited about the safety systems of the near future.
“The next step is biometrics: gathering data from drivers such as heart rate, body heat and even sweat levels. I hope that we will be able to put something on a driver before the end of the season, at least in a test. Biometric data will help us to assess the driver’s conditions before, at the time of the crash and after the crash, as far as the rescue operations are concerned.”
