Is a roll cage road legal?

[suen_boi]

Would the police be in the right if they pulled you over for having a roll cage installed for the purpose of rally cross? The insurance company seems to be okay with it and they haven't said a word.

Anyone with experience or know the finer points?

[blazzer]

i have a cage in my car and i ahve never had any problems with the cops towards this

and if ur insurance company is kool with it deffenetly shouldnt be a problem

[DomesticBoy]

i dont see any problem with having it.... if anything its probably more for safety for rally or even more safer for daily driving.

[ae92gts]

i dont see why making your car more safe would raise any problems

[CivicTunr]

Originally posted by DomesticBoy
i dont see any problem with having it.... if anything its probably more for safety for rally or even more safer for daily driving.

:banghead: Wrong. when your racing you have a helmet on.

tell me whats stronger, metal or skull.

[DomesticBoy]

Originally posted by CivicTunr


:banghead: Wrong. when your racing you have a helmet on.

tell me whats stronger, metal or skull.


yeah you sure are right there

[kevie88]

A cage and no helmet is a recipe for a busted head...

[ae92gts]

Originally posted by kevie88
A cage and no helmet is a recipe for a busted head...

i now take back my first comment
i never thought of that
and now that i think about it more it would also restrict movement in the car
and the padding on the actual cage can only do so much

:banghead:

[FiveFreshFish]

Still, whacking your head on the door frame isn't much different from a striking a padded bar.

[GTS Jeff]

The firefighters would also have a tougher time cutting through a cage than through sheetmetal.


Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
Still, whacking your head on the door frame isn't much different from a striking a padded bar.

Car makers subject their cars to crash tests and engineer them to be safe for the passengers. Putting a piece of steel tubing 3 inches from your head isn't a part of that formula!

[Casa]

hahaha gud question

[DeeK]

From what I understand, a roll cage is street legal assuming it does not come forward beyond the most rear seating.

IE: behind the drivers seat in a 2 seater, behind the rear seat in a 4/5 passenger car. etc etc.

Cages that extend forward beyond that are track only.

This is completely off the top of my head, and not backed up by any facts. I remember this issue from a while back though, unless laws have changed.

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

Im pretty sure is illegal, cops have threatend to impound the car. He used words like race car, not street legal.... he even threatened to call my insurance company. ahah

[Redlyne_mr2]

Ive been pulled over half a dozen times this year... cage, harnesses everything.... they seemed to be more concerned about by exhaust and LED license plate lights lol.

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Ive been pulled out half a dozen times this year... cage, harnesses everything.... they seemed to be more concerned about by exhaust and LED license plate lights lol.

Yep. Most cops don't know the law very good themselves. Or at least in my experiences anyways. My brother has been pulled over more times for bullshit reasons rather than his FULL cage and harnesses, completely stripped down. etc etc.

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by CivicTunr
tell me whats stronger, metal or skull.
Depends on the type of metal ;)

Bone is stronger (based on ultimate stress) than lead.

Seriously though, a roll cage is street legal. The safety issues with it can be argued all day long. If you have a 5-point & bucket seats and it is physically impossible for your head to strike the tubing, then yes, it will be safe. If you can hit your head on it, it probably isn't safe.

[psi_klops]

My insurance Co. said that a roll cage would increase my insurance and put me into a different risk class. (kinda like adding Big Brake Kits = more risk:dunno: )

But ultimately isn't a roll cage supposed to increase the cars rigidity...thus is does not crumple as it is designed to do in an accident = sacrificing the car to saving the passenger?

If that is the case I would suspect it could cause trouble.

[ralliart_girl]

Originally posted by psi_klops
My insurance Co. said that a roll cage would increase my insurance and put me into a different risk class. (kinda like adding Big Brake Kits = more risk:dunno: )

But ultimately isn't a roll cage supposed to increase the cars rigidity...thus is does not crumple as it is designed to do in an accident = sacrificing the car to saving the passenger?

If that is the case I would suspect it could cause trouble.

A vehicle is designed a certain way to absorb the force of a collision. By having a roll cage, it changes the way the car will absorb the force...so it may actually be worse for the passengers...my theory anyways.

[stevo 27]

no cage rear ended by a tractor trailer your backseat is now in your lap

cage doesnt crumple as much more force is applied to the occupents of the vehical but your still alive

tell me whats safer:dunno:

[suen_boi]

Thanks for the imput. The insurance companies I called said my premium wouldn't go up, but only simply because they wouldn't insure it.


Originally posted by Eleanor

If you have a 5-point & bucket seats and it is physically impossible for your head to strike the tubing, then yes, it will be safe. If you can hit your head on it, it probably isn't safe.

:werd:
A cage is generally not safer on the road. There's no guarantee that most people on the road have those additional parts (harness, bucket seat) installed, so what's the point of saving yourself from being crushed if your head has been cracked open on the bar itself?

[A790]

Originally posted by stevo 27
no cage rear ended by a tractor trailer your backseat is now in your lap

cage doesnt crumple as much more force is applied to the occupents of the vehical but your still alive

tell me whats safer:dunno:
I hate it break it to you, but if you get rear ended by a tractor trailer your cage isn't doing shit other than making the newly formed tin can (that was once your car) a bit more rigid.

[gpomp]

i never feel safe when i'm in a car with a cage, unless i'm strapped in good and wearing a helmet.

[Driven Sideways]

Alright! For you boys that mention that cars are typically made with safety in mind. You mention a roll cage upsets the balance. Keep in mind most cars are not usually too focused on the roll over factor. Thus comes the roll cage, hence the name. A roll cage in no way is going to increase risk of injury in an accident. Unless it's not designed or installed properly. Granted you do pad it down. Smaller cars do pose quite the risk to make it just another object to turn your face into hamburger meat. If you have the harness and the cage Id have to assume you more likely to err... live through the experience.

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Driven Sideways
A roll cage in no way is going to increase risk of injury in an accident. Unless you hit your head on it

fixed.

[cloud7]

Roll cage is 100% road legal.


Originally posted by ralliart_girl


A vehicle is designed a certain way to absorb the force of a collision. By having a roll cage, it changes the way the car will absorb the force...so it may actually be worse for the passengers...my theory anyways.

You are implying that a roll cage is not designed to absorb
the force of a collision. A regular road vehicle is designed to crumble on impact, but there are places in the car that you want to keep intact... i.e., the driver/passenger compartment or the survival cell... In no way do you want that to crumble and that's where the roll cage comes in. A properly built roll cage is in no way worse for the passenger.