And that about sums up this whole argument in a nutshell. Those of us
"experienced club members", the ones who usually set up the courses, have in
a lot of cases bet at this sport for years. We tend to think in terms of our
car and what the other seasoned, experienced drivers expect from a course,
as well as suffering from acceleration intoxication and all the rest.
Before putting down the first cone, take a look at the young guy with the
Street Touring Honda that has never done an autocross before and design the
course expecting that he will do something stupid. We will all be safer for
it.
Larry Steckel
>From: Roger Johnson <rjohnson@ghg.net>
>Reply-To: Roger Johnson <rjohnson@ghg.net>
>To: "Team. Net" <autox@autox.team.net>, evolution-discussions@egroups.com
>Subject: Course design safety - formerly Re: autox insurance
>Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 08:52:20 -0600
>
>It was said (on team.net):
>
>"...Preventing pole-hits is largely a course-design problem. I raise holy
>hell when I see
>a course that makes this likely. Courses like that cause problems for all
>of us, in all clubs."
>
>Although I strongly agree with comments made above, I would like to add
>that making a course design with "no risk" (i.e. zero) of hitting a
>pole/foreign object found in an solo2 lot is impossible.
>
>There are just too many factors to account for that are totally out of
>control of the course designer, such as Acceleration intoxication; driver
>stupidity; novice misconceptions ("I can floor it through the entire
>course"); the "I can save it syndrome"; etc. I have seen poles/foreign
>objects so far off the path of the normal driver that it was inconceivable
>that they would become a safety issue - but they did anyway.
>
>However, we as course designers, can MINIMIZE THE CHANCE OF INCIDENT by not
>thinking like a seasoned soloist, but rather as the dumbest, most
>adrenaline crazed person you can imagine. I have made many course design
>changes based on what an unreasonable driver could do - knowing that it
>would not be an issue *at all* for 90% of the competitors out there.
>
>You have to keep in mind that it only takes one person to ruin for all of
>us - so making it perfectly safe for 90% of the the drivers may not be good
>enough.
>
>Thoughts?
>Comments?
>
>Roger H. Johnson
>Home of the Criminally Insane
>rjohnson@ghg.net
>(281) 992-7504
>
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