Injury at Silverstone

[yeltneb]

I read today that a driver was injured in an Historic Race at Silverstone when his car rolled. This car did not have a roll hoop which would have helped the driver.
Can someone tell me why in todays, day and age, we still let cars race without a roll cadge just because it is an historic car. Surley safety is paramount and if safety equiptment cannot be fixed to a car then it should not be aloud to race.
I can hear all the purist screaming the car needs to be origional. Well try telling that to a mans wife and kids " sorry he was killed but at least his car was origional ".
It is about time that the Historics where dragged into line with the rest of us.

[BootsOntheSide]

He's an adult, he had the chocie of either fitting a roll-hoop or racing the car in its original form. I doubt he regrets his decision.

[Aysedasi]

Agreed. If he had been forced to race without a hoop when he wanted one, that would be different......

[yeltneb]

Agreed it was his choice, however we are not allowed the choice of whether we want to wear a helmet etc so why are historic cars allowed to race when they do not have something that may save a life?

[flagwaver]

For a lot of historic cars it is just not possible to fit a "safe" safety hoop/cage. In part this is due to the designs of the cars and part due to legistration.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by yeltneb

I read today that a driver was injured in an Historic Race at Silverstone when his car rolled. This car did not have a roll hoop which would have helped the driver.
Can someone tell me why in todays, day and age, we still let cars race without a roll cadge just because it is an historic car. Surley safety is paramount and if safety equiptment cannot be fixed to a car then it should not be aloud to race.
I can hear all the purist screaming the car needs to be origional. Well try telling that to a mans wife and kids " sorry he was killed but at least his car was origional ".
It is about time that the Historics where dragged into line with the rest of us.

Because safety is not "paramount" and the driver is presumably an adult entitled to make choices about his behaviour.

Just like motorcyclists on the open road or horseriders or . . .

Regards

Jim

[Red Legs]

I gather the car was fitted with a roll bar and it broke. This may highlight the point of fitting roll bars to cars that were not designed to have one.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by yeltneb

Surley safety is paramount

If that's the case, there's only one way to go......ban all forms of motor sport......

[Andrew Kitson]

Safety IS paramount - safety for the spectators that is.
The drivers should be left to choose if they want to race cars with or without roll hoops, open face helmets etc. They know the risks, they can choose to race or not. It is for them to discuss the implications of a possible accident with their families. Too many safety police nazis in the world as it is!

[Woolley]

I'm not sure I'd entirely agree, as given the choice many drivers would chuck away all the safety stuff to make the car lighter and hang the consequences. Insisting on mimimum standards ensures that you're not required to follow that route to be competitive and everyone is benefitted/hindered to the same extent.

Having said that, If a car wasn't designed with a roll hoop in mind, then fitting one can cause all kinds of consequential problems, and it may well be that to protect against the slim risk of a roll over you create a car which is more dangerous in many more situations.

[David McKinney]

Originally Posted by Red Legs

I gather the car was fitted with a roll bar and it broke. This may highlight the point of fitting roll bars to cars that were not designed to have one.

I haven't seen it myself, but apparently this week's Motorsport News has a photo sequence in which no rollover bar is visible

[Andrew Kitson]

I'm pretty sure it did not have one too. I wish the driver a speedy recovery as I'm sure we all do...but it is for him to decide what he wants to race in future, a car in original form or with roll-over bar added.

[Yimkin]

The only thing I think *should* be banned is drivers racing open cars with no roll hoops but wearing full harnesses. If I was in a car with no hoop and it rolled, I would hope I was thrown out, not dragged under the car. The option to race without a hoop s up to the driver , but to do it wearing belts is frankly silly.

For what it is worth, I understand the dirver in question is in hospital, comfortable, but in need of extensive grafts. I wish him a quick recovery and equally quick return to the track.

[Woolley]

Yes, a valid point. In the old days the cars were meant to throw the driver as that was safer than relying on the primary protection. Strapping him into something that's not going to help is possibly more dangerous. Although, if you are expecting to leave the vehicle at speed, do yourself a favour and have a helmet with protection for your face and chin. Sliding along the tarmac or bouncing off the walls with an open face helmet is not good and is unpleasant for those of us who have to clear up.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by yeltneb

It is about time that the Historics where dragged into line with the rest of us.

Trying to incorporate all the safety features of more modern machinery into historics would kill it, at a stroke.

[simon drabble]

I thought that you werent supposed to have belts with no hoop. I know this is a well discussed argument and everyone is entitled to their view but to add my two pennys worth -
I race open historics and I choose to have a hoop and belts and I wear Nonex underwear and a full face. Call me a wimp and a non purist but I want to have the fun of racing with the benefit of modern safety technology. A good friend of mine had a bad accident at Brands a few years ago and his life was saved by a hoop.
Now I will tell you something more scary I had a fire extinguisher in my car which was new at Spa last year and at silverstone on Saturday during quallys I had an engine fire which started between Becketts and Stowe and the extinguisher didnt work, fortunately the Marshalls did an excellant job (lucky I wasnt in europe..) and the damage is not too bad.
When we got it bad to the workshop it took a hammer to release the extinguisher... suffice to say I have a new extinguisher which is UK made

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm,

I caught fire at Spa a few years ago and it was dealt with in less than a minute after stopping.

The problem with plumbed in extinguishers is that you rarely check the release mechanism because of the consequences.

[simon drabble]

interestingly I have found out that Egger Lawson will insure against fire as a stand alone as well as as a result of accident - we will be taking it out for Spa 6 Hour

[Red Legs]

I had my fire extinguisher cable checked to see if it was free at scrutineering last weekend at Silverstone. This was the first time as far as I remember.

[simon drabble]

my cable was fine - it was the actual handle on the extinsher that was virtually solid - something you cant test so you assume that a 11 month old one will be ok
interestingly a scrutineer said back in May that he didnt like that particular make
funnily enough nor do I now!!

[Peter Mallett]

That's what I meant. You can wiggle it around but you can't prove it works. If you see what I mean.

[simon drabble]

I do and its pretty scary that the only time you find out is when you need it to work

[Richy_Rich]

*makes note to check extinguisher this weekend*

[simon drabble]

My new one arrived yesterday...

[jminsh]

Really and you never even asked me !! lol