A roll cage is a specially engineered and constructed frame built in (or sometimes around, in which case it is known as an exo cage) the passenger compartment of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured or killed in an accident, particularly in the event of a rollover.

Designs

There are many different roll cage designs depending on the application, hence different racing organizations have differing specifications and regulations, although most of these organizations harmonize their regulations with those of the

FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backst ...

. Roll cages help to stiffen the

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

, which is desirable in racing applications. Racing cages are typically either bolt-in or welded-in, with the former being easier and cheaper to fit while the latter is stronger. A roll bar is a single bar behind the driver that provides moderate rollover protection. Due to the lack of a protective top, some modern convertibles utilize a strong windscreen frame acting as a roll bar. Also, a roll hoop may be placed behind both headrests (usually one on older cars), which is essentially a roll bar spanning the width of a passenger's shoulders.

Road cars

A newer form of rollover protection, pioneered on the

Mercedes-Benz R129 The Mercedes-Benz R129 SL is a roadster which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1989 until 2001. The R129 replaced the R107 in 1989 and was in its turn replaced by the R230 SL-Class in 2002 for the 2003 model year. The R129 was offered as ...

in 1989, is deployable roll hoops that are normally hidden within the body of a car. When sensors detect an imminent rollover, the roll hoops quickly extend and lock in place. Cars that have a deployable rollover protection system include the

Peugeot 307 The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën, under their Peugeot marque, from 2001 to 2008 in Europe, and was the successor to the Peugeot 306, which was discontinued in 2002 after being in product ...

CC,

Volvo C70 The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...

, Mercedes-Benz SL 500,

Jaguar XK The Jaguar XK is a two-door 2+2 grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars from 1996–2014 in hatchback coupé and convertible bodystyles, across two generations. The XK was introduced at the Ge ...

, and the Lamborghini Reventón Roadster.

Other applications

Roll bars are also used historically on

row crop A row crop is a crop that can be planted in rows wide enough to allow it to be tilled or otherwise cultivated by agricultural machinery, machinery tailored for the seasonal activities of row crops. Such crops are sown by drilling or transplanti ...

tractors, and roll cages are common as part of the cab on modern tractors. File:Atkinson WRC Impreza in shop.jpg, A racecar bodyshell with integrated roll cage File:2010 Porsche 997 GT3 RS 3.8 red roll cage.jpg, Roll cage in a Porsche 997 GT3 RS. File:RacecarRollcage2003.jpg, A race car stripped down to its roll cage and fire walls

References

External links

{{commons category, Roll cages Vehicle safety technologies

Designs

Road cars

Other applications

See also

References

External links