Motorsport UK’s Race Committee will roll out pioneering Impact Data Recorders (IDRs) in British Championships, National Championships and Junior Race Championships for the 2025 season, revolutionising motorsport safety across the UK.

Manufactured by Impact Detect, part of the Aim Technologies Group, the unobtrusive devices will enhance safety across the sport by collecting crucial impact data during race incidents.

The IDR can be easily installed in any competition vehicle to collect accident data, with each device measuring 60mm x 45mm x 14.5mm and weighing just 12 grams. Each device is battery powered and operates maintenance free for a period of two years, with the capability to record up to 80 impacts during its lifespan.

Each device is part of an innovative system, providing immediate data access and reporting functionality via the FIA IDR mobile application for iOS and Android.

The IDR programme commenced in 2021, with deployment across the BTCC, with 55 units deployed and 42 impacts captured. Between 2021 and 2023, 6,382 devices were distributed worldwide, and 2,533 impact data reports were generated via the application, following distribution by the FIA.

John Ryan, Sport and Safety Director, Motorsport UK comments, “The IDR has the potential to provide crucial data that will reshape the future of safety across UK-wide sport. It will enable us to improve our understanding of any incidents using scientific data and better prepare in the future, helping to mitigate risk and ensure a safe and fair environment for our competitors.”

Chris Emery, CTO, Impact Detect, adds,“The launch of the FIA Impact Data Recorder within Motorsport UK marks a transformational step forward for motorsport safety at all levels. Until now, meaningful crash data was largely confined to the top tiers of the sport. With the IDR, critical and objective data can now be gathered from grassroots through to national competition and beyond—something that was never previously possible.

“This data will enable Motorsport UK and the FIA to refine safety standards, empowering engineers, medical teams, and circuit designers to make informed decisions that directly enhance competitor safety.

“As a technology partner to the FIA, we’re incredibly proud to have developed a system that will make a lasting impact on the safety of motorsport globally.”

The IDR was most recently used during the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games and has been used in NASCAR since 2022.