all in agreement that it's worlds better than the foamy thingie....sure, as with anything, we will all find one or two points that could make the product better...i think that a wider strap in the front, narrowing under the arms and wider in the back would let the device "sit" better...and maybe offer some different thickness shoulder pads would help....but i don't have the technical stuff in front of me to see if the pads are at the optimal thickness to prevent injury.
bottom line for me, i won't race without one. had several folks asking about the Leatt compared to the Valhalla and I really can't say...i prefer the valhalla over anything else because it's been proven to me and by me to be the best safety device to prevent head/neck injuries while racing a kart. this past season, final race of the season, i lost a header and it got under the left rear and lifted the kart up on two wheels (running wide open)......head rocked back and forth, but not as violent as what it appeared to those watching...head was stopped by the shoulder pads and when it come down, that forward snap wasn't anything compared to what i've seen with the foam piece....
now we are running a "super" kart (highly modified) and several of those drivers are using either the Leatt or the Valhalla.....
and!!! a young lady lost her life in a racing accident in florida....i haven't read all the details, but initally it looks like she suffered a basilar skull fracture (the same that took the life of Dale Sr)....a simple HANS device would have prevented that...i look at karting the same way....if i have to pick a collar made by any other manufacturer off the track at the end of the race (or a couple of times while under caution!!)....then the product failed....
jsut sayin!!
