THE SAFETY SOLUTIONS HISTORY

The development of the head and neck restraint device now know as the “Hutchens Device” was started in mid 2000 by Restraint System Engineer Trevor Ashline. The device was conceived as an alternative to the head and neck restraints that were already on the market.

A number of iterations were tested over a 6 month development period at Autoliv North America as a part of a comprehensive restraint system program being run by the company. The current design had validation tests run in January of 2001.

Through a mutual friend, an explanation of the benefits of the device was also made to Bobby Hutchens, the General Manager for RCR, the second device was given to Mike Skinner of RCR. Both drivers agreed to help with the further development of the product.*

At Rockingham NC, one week later, four more devices were made and delivered to Bobby Hutchens at the race track. Bobby Hutchens, distributed the parts to drivers Kevin Harvick, Mike Dillion, Elliot Sadler and Bobby Labonte, who had asked inventor Trevor Ashline about the device in a meeting at Joe Gibs Racing on Wednesday of that week.

As Bobby Labonte was entering his car during a practice session, a reporter for NASCAR.com’s “the Buzz”, asked what he was wearing, he replied, a head and neck restraint that Bobby Hutchens gave me. After talking with Elliot Sadler and hearing a similar story, the reporter nick-named the device the “Huchens Device”**.

The device has been tested at Autoliv North America and by independent sources in its current configuration. All of these tests have shown its effectiveness in reducing Neck Tension, Maximum G’s and Head injury Criteria in frontal and angular frontal impacts.

The Device was licenced to Mattec, Inc in September of 2001. The licence was bought back from Mattec, Inc on April 1, 2002 by Safety Solutions, Inc.

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