SA2000, M2000, DOT 95, etc - What does it all mean?

[Samurai]

Can someone explain the certifications that they use on helmets, suits and gloves?

What does 1-layer, 2-layer, 3-layer on suits mean?

Are there such a thing as summer and winter driving suits?

Looking to buy my first set of safety equipment. Greatly appreciate your assistance.

Samurai

[Johan]

Well, a 1 layer suit has 1 layer and is good for about 5 seconds in a gasoline fire before you start to get bad burns under the suit
A 2 layer suit is good for up to 10 or 11 seconds, and a 3 layer suit is good for sometimes as much as 13-15 seconds.
This is not much time, so it is a good thing to practice.
First, set up a ramp out in the street that will hit just 1 front tire, so that you can barrel roll your car into your neighbor's front yard. Then, with the car upside down, practice pulling or pushing the fire suppression system(unless children played in your car in which case they pulled it a long time ago), switching off the kill switch, undoing your harness and climbing from the car. Make note of how far along you are at the 5, 10, and 15 second intervals, then decide if you want the heavy (hot in the summer) suit, or something that "breathes" a little.
sa2000 = Special Application = fireproof
m2000 = motorcycle= not fireproof
Sometimes a corner worker will throw a fire extinguisher at you, so remember to look out for that as you are getting out of the car.
Hope this helps you ...

[ToyCollector]

Actually Johan, in your case, certain adults have even triggered the fire surpression system!! Not you and not I--maybe he will come forward as he is a member of the forum. Samurai, do not skimp on the safety gear. As Johan accurately points out after you get past the barrel roll bit, you do not have a lot of time in case of fire. I prefer to sweat and know I have a few extra seconds if I need it.

[Johan]

I agree with TC, get the most you can stand , and then put on a "cool shirt". No, not a Hawaian job or a Cobra Logo thing, a "cool shirt" is a shirt with a matrix of cooler lines running through it that are fed with water from a cooler.

[Samurai]

So a layer-1 suit is only good for 5 seconds,
layer-2 suit is only good for 10 seconds,
layer-3 suit is only good for 15 seconds.

Nice to know that. I though there might be other differences beside fire retardant issues.

Didn't know that 'SA' stood for 'Special Applications' and they had fire retardent layers built it. Are they simular to suits in layers? (always wondered why some helmets cost 10x more than others)

I don't have a fire suppression system as of yet. I would like to add one in the future. I'm mostly interested currently in taking more driving courses than spending alot of 'open track' time. To much to learn, and don't want to be a danger to anyone else on the track. Thought having my own outfit would be a good start.

Thanks,

Samurai

[ToyCollector]

This is one brand.

Abrasion resistance is estimated by a lab test in which the material is rubbed back and forth on an abrasive surface.The number of cycles the material withstands before a hole forms determines its abrasion resistance rating. Tear strength is
measured in pounds of force necessary to tear the material. Like TPP ratings, real world results will vary depending on a variety of factors, such as:

Materials and Protection:
We make both SFI 3.2A/1 and 3.2A/5 rated suits. 3.2A/1 suits are made with one layer of fire retardant material, 3.2A/5 rated suits consist of two or three layers of material in different combinations. Most importantly, a multi-layer suit provides
three to four times as much protection as a single layer suit based on SFI certified

Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) testing.
The chart below lists the characteristics of each material combination that we offer:
# of SFI TPP
Material Layers Rating Rating Durability Comfort Breathability
FR Cotton 1 3.2A/1 11.5 good excellent excellent
FR Cotton/Coolquilt 3 3.2A/5 30 good very good very good
Nomex 1 3.2A/1 8 very good very good good
Nomex/Coolquilt 3 3.2A/5 29 very good very good good
PBI-Kevlar/Coolquilt 2 3.2A/5 32 excellent excellent very good
Nomex/Nomex Fleece 2 3.2A/5 19 fair fair fair
Nomex/Nomex Knit 2 3.2A/5 23 very good excellent good

[Cobra University]

Samurai,
I highly recommend Sparco suits from Sube Sports www.subesports.com
I tried on a million other brand suits, and most felt like burlap pajamas or a heavy jogging suit. The Sparco suit felt so comfortable, I didn't care how much it cost, I wanted it. Just drive down there, try one on, and you'll see what I mean. They have very good economical suits with the high fire ratings standard (SFI-5). You're looking at $450-500. Ideally, you want lightest weight suit with highest fire rating. Other less expensive brands may use Proban or multiple layers to get the higher fire rating, then they end up feeling like a fireman jumpsuit.
Look at the Sparco Sprint 5 or Sparco Fashion 5. They are the same materials as the $1000 suits, but they are stitched more economically and usually in 1 color. They carry custom tailored and "off-the-rack" sizes. I bought "off-the-rack" because it fit great, and it was a couple of bucks less than custom tailored.
They can also offer a package deal if you get the helmet, gloves and shoes there too. I like the Bell Sport 2 helmet.

[Samurai]

Thanks ToyCollector & Stephen,

That's the type of information I needed. I'll go try Sube Sports in a couple of weeks.


Samurai

[Johan]

So, you're saying my information was completely useless ? I hate it when that happens.

[Samurai]

Johan:
Actually your information was very useful...I've stored it away for future reference

The cool shirt is a very interesting idea, are they expensive?

I appreciate all comments...small and big...


Samurai - The newbie with 1 driver training course under his belt...so far