The Australian online magazine Speedcafé.com has just published an interesting article about safety accessories and their certifications. We invite you to read this article, which we have translated into French.
A surge in poorly manufactured copies seems to be flooding the market. Harnesses, seats, and fireproof clothing are being offered at attractive prices without buyers realizing they are counterfeit.
All safety accessories intended for motorsport must meet standards and undergo testing before being approved by the FIA, and these counterfeit products do not meet these standards/tests, sometimes with serious consequences:
Example of a harness with a fake homologation label (without FIA marking)
Last December, a copy of a harness broke during a road accident, and the driver suffered multiple facial injuries.
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Garry Connelly, the president of the Australian Motorsport Institute, has therefore just launched an awareness campaign on this subject.
“What concerns us most are people who are starting out in motorsport and lack experience, making them easy prey for unscrupulous sellers. For a rally car, you have to buy everything in duplicate, which represents a significant budget, and the temptation is sometimes to try to find good deals, without realizing that you might end up with counterfeit parts.”
“People don’t buy copies willingly, especially when it comes to security, but sellers are clever and it’s easy to be fooled.”
“We’re not talking about a fake Prada handbag, that’s theft, but don’t go putting someone’s life in danger.”
“But a harness or a seat can cost a participant their life.”
A seat with homologation
“With the internet these days, it's easy to say, oh look, I found some cheap harnesses, bucket seats, etc.”
“This is worrying because people don't necessarily know that these items must have an FIA homologation sticker proving that they are not copies. These counterfeits don't have FIA stickers or sometimes have fake stickers!!!”
“Imagine in case of a fire if your clothes are not fireproof and do not provide the necessary protection.”
“The same goes for harnesses that break. Forget your HANS device; it won't save you if the harness isn't doing its job.”
“The bucket seats are causing major problems right now. Counterfeit ones often break on the side or at the rail attachments. Can you imagine if your seat breaks while you're doing barrel rolls?”
The best way to protect yourself is to buy from reputable sellers who guarantee their products are certified. If the price seems too good to be true, ask yourself why.
