Safety

Racing is an accident prone sport. A number of steps have been taken to ensure safety in motor racing, specially Formula 1. The F1 cars have been fitted with a slew of safety equipments which help protect the driver's life in the event of an accident. A fire extinguishing system, discharging into the cockpit and engine compartment, must be into the car. It must be functional even if the car’s main electrical circuit fails. The driver should be able to operate it. The system should be operable even from outside the cockpit. A red letter 'E' inside a white circle locates its position on the bodywork.

Helmet, Seatbelts and Straps
It is mandatory for the drivers to wear seatbelts and helmet. They have to wear two shoulder straps, one abdominal strap and two straps between the legs. All straps should strictly comply with FIA specifications.

Rear-view Mirrors and Light
The cars should be equipped with two rear-view mirrors. Size and location of these mirrors should be in accordance with FIA specifications. The cars must have a red light on the rear part. The light must comply with FIA regulations. In poor weather conditions the light is switched to make the car easily visible.

Circuit Breaker
The driver should be able to cut the car’s main electrical circuits from the cockpit itself. The circuit breaker switch is marked on the dashboard by a red spark in a white-edged blue triangle. An additional switch is located at the base of the car’s main roll-over structure. The marshals can operate the switch from a distance.

Removable Seats
The seats must be removable with the driver in place and his seatbelts fastened. The standard tool to unfasten the seat belts is issued to all rescue teams.