Many race fans have seen these small patches on driver suits and may have wondered what they are. Many do not realize that these small patches have a critical role in driver safety. These small patches are the safety certification patches. These small patches state that this uniform part has been examined by one of the two groups, and determined to meet the standards set by the group. For North American-made equipment that group is SFI.
According to their website, SFI was founded in 1963 as part of the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association or SEMA, as a safety group. Back then, the safety culture wasn’t as rigorous as it is today, and there were not many standards in place. SEMA started the safety certification with SFI or SEMA Foundation, Inc certification. If the equipment didn’t meet SFI standards, the participant could be denied entrance to the event. Eventually, SFI left SEMA and became its own independent group.
Since then, SFI has certified safety equipment, and their certification is the standard in North America. This small patch is usually sewn into the inside wrist area on the left sleeve. This example, from a Terry Labonte suit 2008 indicates that the suit meets “3.2A/5” standards. According to their site, this certification is standard for driver suits. This certification is standard for many races across the world.
For suits made internationally, the certification comes from a different group, the FIA Institute. Like SFI, the FIA Institute has the exact same goal, to make sure auto racing is safe, and that the equipment that drivers wear is as safe as possible. Unlike SFI however, FIA certification ends up in one of two places, either on the back of the neck,
or inside the belt,
Both certifications serve the same purpose and both are mandated in racing today. These certifications also appear on driver gloves, neck support, arm restraint, seat belt(racing harness), shoes/boots, Innerwear (undergarments), Balaclava, and even helmets.
SFI and FIA Specifications establish uniform test procedures and minimum standards for evaluating and determining performance capabilities for products used by individuals engaged in competitive motorsports. There are numerous manufacturers that manufacture and sell SFI/FIA-rated products. You can find the list on SFI website.
In India most popular brand for SFI and FIA-rated driver safety among racers is Belte
nick.
Beltenick has only one authorized dealer/distributor in India named ASAP Motor Sports.
ASAP Motor Sports also known as ASAP Hardware Solutions is Delhi based supplier and can deliver products all over India.
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#SFI and FIA rated Driver Safety by Beltenick
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