[1] The organisation was founded to prevent injuries among drivers, and today plays an important role in standardisation, certification and quality assurance of equipment.
The responsibility of product specifications and testing was taken care of by the SEMA Service Bureau.
The SFI Foundation dictates fire protection standards for racing suits for numerous sanctioning bodies particularly in the United States, including NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and the United States Auto Club (USAC).
[5][6][7][8][9] SFI and FIA standards are also used by other organizations outside their jurisdiction, such as the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS).
[10][11] In 2015 in NASCAR, from the Axalta 400 race, it became a requirement that mechanics had to wear gloves, balaclavas and underwear certified by SFI.