Hey, saw this posted elsewhere. It's already out on the net for those who
think we should never mention autocross and accidents.
http://www.thehourly.com/autox/
My intention is not to start another flame fest, but to raise some concerns
and perhaps move forward positively regards to course safety.
In looking at the video of this autocross, a few things stand out.
1. The speed of the car was relatively slow. This is a novice driver.
2. There is something of a straight, with a quick transition towards the
edge of the course. The transition has the car pointed towards the
edge/spectators/paddock. They paddock seems far enough away, if the area
between them and the course was not grass.
3. The "edge of the course" is not defined by cones. The area between the
gates defined by pointer cones is open, so the edge of the course is open to
the driver's interpretation. I always find this a little odd to determine if
the course falls within the rules, when the edge is not defined.
4. The run off area is a grass field. It appears that the Celica driver
could not get the car stopped quickly before having to take evasive
manuevers among people and cars. Hard to say, but if he had just locked it
up, it may have been worse.
5. The driver did very well to not hit anyone or a car. I do understand he
ran over the one person's (shown in the video) foot, but it was not very
bad. In watching this, I think luck also played a big role in nobody getting
seriously hurt.
Yours in Safety,
Randy Chase
http://www.conecam.com/
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