Benjamin D Thatcher wrote:
> However, we also do the sport a disservice if we portray it as so safe
> that we can just spin a car on course without the danger of ever hitting
> anything. I'm saying if competitors have that expectation, in time they
> may have a rude awakening if they see a car in a fence, upside down or
> over a curb. I hope they never see that. But in my 13 years in the sport,
> I've seen them all and none of them happened because of unsafe course
> design or excessive speed.
Then Jeff Winchell responded:
<<<How many times have you seen a car upside down at an autocross in
those 13 years (and roughly how many cars haven't done that)? From
what I've been able to gather, thousands of autocross entries have run
in our area before one has rolled (so far I haven't heard of a
documented case, so the number is probably more like tens of
thousands of entrants without a roll over). I'd bet the accident odds
aren't noticeably worse than what one sees on the highway or in
neighborhoods.>>>
Then I guess the 3 people who have _died_ at Solo II events don't count.
Or the people who have been hit while working the course don't count? Or
the cars that have rolled don't count? (I have personally witnessed one
myself.) And you think this sport is safe enough without _constantly_
working to make it better?
In most smaller regions with a bunch of stock cars, you can imagine
things are safe enough even though the courses would never pass proper
muster. But when you see a 600 hp 2500 lb Corvette going through a chain
link onto a public highway you might change your mind.
Yes, the dangers are real. And yes, people die on the highway too. But
that doesn't mean you can dismiss them. That means you have to be on
your toes all the time. It starts with proper course design. But it
doesn't end there. Never turn your back to a car on the course. Never
sit down when working the course. If you see a problem where you don't
think there is sufficient runoff or there is another safety issue bring
it to the attention of the people running the event. If they won't do
anything about it send a letter to Denver describing the situation. You
aren't being a tattletale! It is your duty!
Enough preaching. I hate it when I do that...
Paul Foster
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