Cable snapping Aero safety fix

[j-c-c]

So elsewhere I am having an internet disagreement, regarding preventive safety measures taken to reduce the potential injury from mainly a steel cable snapping when used on a typical car winch. The common solution is to drape an item over the taught steel cable span, like a piece of carpet, large towel or some available commercial similar tasked and specific item.

The contention here is many seem to believe the weight of the hanging item is the major safety attribute, and I contend that aero drag best dissipates the stored energy when a cable straps, and aero drag is the main and best safety contribution to be sought in this context. Mainly because additional weight simply conserves energy, but does slow its release, and any aero drag added when cable is moving at high velocity actually dissipates significantly the stored energy in the snapped cable.

IT IMO goes without saying that if the cable separates right at the point any safety device is hung, most hung safety provisions will have reduced effectiveness, as the hung item may simply dislodge and fall to the ground with little improvement regarding safety.


That scenario is not part of this discussion.

What am I missing here?

[freebeard]

If your winching a car, aerodynamic drag shouldn't be a concern unless it's in a high wind.

Towing would be another matter.

[j-c-c]

The point I was making is when a car winch cable breaks in use from overloading, likely both ends of the newly separated winch cable recoil at very high speeds, and having a length up to say 50', relatively little mass and frontal area to dissipate the energy there is significant potential to cause serious harm to any nearby bystanders.

[freebeard]

Understood.

Loggers face this all the time.