Safety Systems

I think the greatest safety feature of any car is that it communicates its speed accurately back to the driver. I've owned cars that have been very quick but simply didn't feel it (e.g. a Subaru Impreza Turbo). I like my sports cars to feel fast when they are going fast. It's the most fundamental feedback mechanism and a direct link to your survival instinct. Inappropriate speed is THE biggest killer on UK roads.

There are other passive safety features that you might want and expect in a modern sports car. Driver feedback and involvement are essential tools in judging the level of grip available for given surface and road conditions. Equally important is progressive handling characteristics that give you plenty of warning and reminders, as you creep up to the edge of the performance envelope.

A car like this is also inherently safer through its ability to rapidly accelerate, brake and change direction.

Cars that are this small and low are not very visible. There are a some muppet drivers out there but, there are also a large number of drivers with poor eyesight. As every motorcyclist should know, anything you can do to make yourself more visible is good. This is especially true in the autumn and winter months when the sun is low. It also applies in the summer months, when many B-roads are shaded by tree canopies.

In my Fisher Fury R1 I usually drive around with low-beam headlights on. I would use just the side lights which are LED but, these are not bright enough in my view. Ideally, I'd like to have some very bright LED daytime running lights.

None planned.

None planned.

These will be designed into the chassis and bodywork.

This will also be designed into the chassis structure and bodywork.

None planned.

The seats are very supportive and full height seats will provide better neck support in the event of a crash.

6-point harness are simply awesome and restraining the driver and offer much better load distribution than a standard seat belt.

This car will have a strong roll-bar that is tall enough to protect the drive, even when wearing a helmet.

This is something I'm still looking at. I'd like to design the car such that a roll cage can easily be fitted if required, so mounting points will be part of the initial design.

Data logging is a useful tool for pre-empting problems that might affect safety and to analyse the data and identify the cause of events after they have happened. I will have extensive data logging with all sensors networked in some way. This will include GPS, accelerometers, etc.

This car will have integrated front and rear facing video recording at a minimum of 1080p/60fps. These will be used tarcj recordings, as dash cams and for security when the car is parked up.

Knowing that everything you do behind the wheel of your car is being captured forces you to consider your driving style and actions. I'm already using a Mini 0801 Dashcam in my family car. I've also already build a Raspberry Pi based dashcam, which has been useful in understanding the capabilities and my requirements.

In addition, this car will have integrated mounts, microphones and power for 'action' cameras to record 'sport' driving on track.

This car is designed so that a crash helmet is easily accommodated with both the roof on or off.

Without a full windscreen in place, some form of eye protection is essential. Insects, stones and even dust can damage your eyes at quite low speeds.

In a bike engined-car with just an aeroscreen for protection, ear plugs are essential to stop your hearing being damaged. It is not just the exposure to the engine, exhaust and induction noise. Wind buffeting is low frequency, high amplitude noise and can do significant damage. I've been using these Alpine MusicSafe Pro ear plugs for over 6 years in my Fury and a recent (Dec 2013) hearing test showed that I still have excellent hearing. I use the highest attenuation filters supplied. The advantage of these ear plugs is that they still allow you to hear full range audio, so you can still hear cars and other vehicles around you. They simply attenuate the volume of the noise. They come with a neat carry case, which is attached to the car keys, so I can't forget to take them and use them.