DRIVING STRAIN

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 9

DRIVING STRAIN

A CCORDING to a team of British heart specialists at the Middlesex Hospital department of cardiology, driving in traffic causes sufficient strain in the normal driver to increase his heartbeats from 70-85 beats a minute to 100140 beats a minute. This emerged from a series of tests which the team undertook last year. It found that the increase was even more marked amongst racing drivers. In an attempt to learn more the team is continuing its research by recording the heart actions of several drivers taking part in motor racing this year. The series of tests is aimed at preparing a complete survey of high-stress driving effects to see if the team can pin-point ways of saving lives on the roads. One of the researchers is an amateur rac-

• ing driver who acted as a ; “guinea-pig” himself in tests . last year. Already the team has found • out that drivers’ heartbeat 1 rates can increase to 150 to 1 180 beats a minute before the • race even starts, rising to 205 beats a minute during actual ; racing. Drivers are unaware - of the drastic increase, but ■ the team say that the heart . can treble its output without ; any danger. 1 The Ford company is cooperating with the research ' team and has supplied a speci- ! ally equipped van to act as a mobile unit at race meetings this year. In addition, sevel ral drivers will help by carry- . ing small transmitters taped ; to their chests during races, i The small transmitter unit ; will relay heart rates and • wave forms to the equipment ■ housed in the van.