Bizarre Towing Incident with safety implications

[garybirch]

Castle Combe, 2nd May, Post F (Old Paddock Out), After a MG Midget qualifying session:

Driver stopped in esses during session and needed towing back afterwards. Didn't want them to use the tow hook for some reason so they used the roll bar above driver (right side of car). Lorry driving off line on left side of track was churning out lots of dirty exhaust smoke so driver decided to pull out to the right, out of the way of the smoke. Line goes slack, lorry speeds up, line snaps back taught, pulling the car from the top right side.....rolling the car over!
I was lying down behind the post and heard this screech of wheels and almighty crash to find the lorry stopped and the midget on it's rollbars beside it. Driver was fine but this leaves us with some serious safety implications!

1. Cars should be towed by tow hooks. But if the driver wants different we need to find out why, and looking at some welded on tow hooks perhaps they need to be checked better by the scrutineers.
2. Cars need to stay as straight behind towing vehicles as possible.
3. Most importantly, drivers must strap themselves in and put on their helmets when being towed back. If this driver hadn't done that, he'd probably be in hospital right now!

That's the first meeting I've done where the biggest incident wasn't during a race!

[scrutineer]

1. Cars should be towed by tow hooks. But if the driver wants different we need to find out why

Your right, did anyone ask? If not why not?

and looking at some welded on tow hooks perhaps they need to be checked better by the scrutineers.

Scrutineer bashing my favourite thing there is only so hard that we can pull it by hand in the bay, and some it is hard to reach (ill wait for the comments on that one from the tractor people).

3. Most importantly, drivers must strap themselves in and put on their helmets when being towed back.

Isnt that a requirement by the MSA? And as such should be checked before the car moves away.

[andy97]

I recently went into a gravel trap at brands hatch and had to be towed back to the pits. The marshals insisted that I strapped in - the first time that I had experienced this request. I don't have a problem with this but unfortunately, I can't strap myself into a single seater and the Marshals couldn't or wouldn't do it. Eventually I managed to get one shoulder strap done up but it really was for presentation purposes only. Perhaps there is a training issue here?

[Bodysnatcher]

Yep, Brands Hatch had a similar incident last year, with (i believe) an adverse reaction from the compewtitor whose car was pulled over.
The immediate response was that all drivers being towed back must have their helmet on (something we always did for single seaters) and be belted in.
As for Andy 97 not being strapped in by the marshals - well it probably was a case of not knowing how to do up your belts. (so that's the could'nt covered)
Training will help, and drivers can provide that each time we have to belt them back up, so please, just give us time.
Or...personally I like to know somebody a bit better before getting familiar in the area wher the belts do up. And..some of you do get a bit sweaty as well.....
(that's the would'nt covered)

[Andrew Palmer]

A similar incident has happened at Snetterton with a FPA, when the driver decided that the tow was in fact a bump start and then tried to drive off with tow rope still attached. Result one upside down FPA.

Now all drivers being tow must wear helmets and be strapped in and told that it is a tow, to follow the tow vehicle and not to overtake it. If the driver will does not follow these insturction the car become a full lift and the driver must visits the Clerks before getting the car back.

As for the towing eye many are scured enough for towing on a flat tramac surface in a straight line, but if you move from these conditions they have been know to fail. I think the Blue Book states a towing point front and rear but makes no requirement for strength. I wait the be corrected on this.

Now what would have happened if this car was a single seater?

[scrutineer]

Andrew you are right there is no requirement for the strength, it is based on towing the car on a flat surface.
A point with single seaters. The tow point is normally the roll hope, and if pulled on tarmac there is no problem. Pull it through gravel and it takes a nose dive and can cause a lot of damage to the undertray and the nose/wing.

[scorch]

A Couple of points,
Never pull a single seater by the roll hoop unless on flat tarmac, they do roll over pretty easy.
Why did the line go slack, and what kind of speed was he doing to pull it over, was the recovery/driver doing something stupid.
if the recovery was beltching smoke then maybe it could be dropping other nasty things on the circuit, and some serviceing would be in order.

[ss_collins]

having been towed home in my vee (my helmet was in my lap, belts undone) I really find it hard to see how it could be done wrong on tarmac. One thing is the line will go slack every time the tow truck brakes or lifts, plus it willgo of centre when the tow truck turns a corner.

[scrutineer]

I think Scorch has mentioned a few good points, maybee we should be looking at the standard of recovery. There are a number of recovery trucks that I wouldnt want recovering my car (dont mention any names as there could be legal problems). And then there are ones who do a profesional job.
Is there much training for recovery?

[garybirch]

Responding to further points.
* I don't know why it went slack, but the line does occassionally if towing vehicle has braked and car hasn't.
* Car was obviously quite a way out from behind the truck for it to have hapened on tarmac.
* I don't think the recovery driver was doing anything abnormal, but he knew the car was out to the side so perhaps should have slowed down more than usual.
* I think training is a good idea for marshalls on straps etc.
* Perhaps we should have strength tests for tow hooks?
* I think the scrutineers do a great job and in no way do I wish to scrut bash!
* I like the FPA regs and it being a full lift if driver doesn't co-operate.

[ss_collins]

how would you test tow hooks?

[Ian Sowman]

Keep pulling them until they come off?

[scrutineer]

Keep pulling them until they come off?

Like that idea but you cant always reach them

Never pull a single seater by the roll hoop unless on flat tarmac, they do roll over pretty easy.

Thats ok at Silverstone were all snatch lift up the cars, however at other tracks were tractors are used they just pull them, which causes more damage than they had in the accident.

Maybe they should just full lift all cars, but this would add a lot of time to the meetings and mean even later finishes or less races.

[Tim Falce]

One thing that seems to be missed here is a bit of training for the recovery drivers.
A lot of them seem to think they are dragging cars out of ditches at the side of the M25 sometimes and can do more damage than the initial reason for the tow or lift.

[chezza]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

how would you test tow hooks?

Attach a strop and give it a bloody good yank.

The towing eye should be able to at least take the weight of the D-ring/carabena (sp) and certainly the weight of the car...it is no good when the towing eye comes away in you hand as your trying to hook it up!!

Well said Scorch!!

The driver should have been paying attention not to let the line go slack...when the truck brakes you brake, and also the recovery vehicle should have been paying more attention so that the car was not jolted so much when it started moving.

[garybirch]

indeed chezza.
I think it was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other!

[Hepatic]

Regarding the slack line, the driver should always lightly apply the brake to ensure this doesn't happen. We had plenty of straight tows at donington this weekend and all went fine. The biggest problem we had was getting stuff out of the gravel traps - totally impossible without the snatch tractor.

If a driver values thier car (and i'm sure they all do) they ought to ensure it's tow hooks are good enough for the job. It's by far the safest way to move the car, and should cause the least damage possible. Regarding helmets and straps, we ensured everyone had them on / done up including the tintop drivers. It'd only take a snapped line to come thru the windscreen to prove how important that'd be...

[CombeMarshal]

I'd say keeping the line taught is the car drivers job, as said, light brake pressure would do it, The Tow truck driver was not doing anything out of the normal, he can't look behind him the whole time, or he'll be in the tire wall!!

As for the snapped line, I was on a building site and they were pulling a cable in using rope and a van, the rope got stuck, the driver put his foot down, the rope snapped and smashed straight through the rear window, it could have been very messy.
Lee

[bodyrepairs]

Having being trained, for on and off road recoverys by the rrra. The most important thing we are always taught is steel ropes are deadly.

I have not seen any poor recovery skills around circuits, sometimes things just aren't done the way the hse would like.

[scorch]

Don't start me on towing eyes/points.

Silverstone does not always snatch with the JCB to lift the car, most snatches are still done with the land rovers manned by marshalls NOT by recovery crews.

I think the point here also is that at every circuit in the country cars are towed back to the paddock by the roll hoop or other high up points, and 99.99% go without any problem.

Maybe some people can also clear up something for me, silverstone use their own recovery vechiles manned by marshalls, do other circuits use their own vechiles or do they always get teams in? (yes i am aware there is a regular exception to that)

[Sheila M]

3. Most importantly, drivers must strap themselves in and put on their helmets when being towed back

Originally Posted by scrutineer

Isnt that a requirement by the MSA? And as such should be checked before the car moves away.

The Blue Book is particularly vague on this point - I had a discussion with a Scrutineer only the other week as to whether drivers are allowed to remove their helmets in the Pit Lane, but that's another story.

J.11. Drivers

states:

A driver shall throughout the competition:

11.1.1 wear properly fastened and positioned:

(a) A crash helmet to a standard specified in the current Regulations and bearing an MSA approval sticker ....."

"Competition" is defined as "that part of an Event that is given a competitive nature by the publication of results ...."

Unfortunately, it gives no further indication as to when a driver is allowed to remove his helmet.

If I remember correctly the Blue Book used to state that helmets should be worn at all times whilst on the circuit, but I may be wrong. I may well have read it in Supplementary Regs for various formula.

However I think it makes sense for helmets to be worn at all times when the vehicle is moving. If a car has stopped out on the circuit and needs to be towed back, then the driver should replace and refasten his/her helmet for his/her own safety.

[Yimkin]

There was an incident (10 plus years ago, I think at Mallory, but may well be wrong) where a single seater was being towed from the rollbar, with the driver holding on to the rop to take up slack etc. For some reason, and very sadly, the car rolled whilst under tow, and the driver lost his lower arm as a result. Terrible. Personally, whenever I've been towed (and I have to give a thumbs up to marshalls at Snetterton for his one), I have always been asked by marshalls to belt up (grin) and put my helmet on - makes absolute sense - no harm in being careful - I think I wa told it was a track rule in that case. However, you can't mitigate against a shocked/arsey driver (double grin)

Chris

[Yimkin]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

Regarding the slack line, the driver should always lightly apply the brake to ensure this doesn't happen. We had plenty of straight tows at donington this weekend and all went fine. The biggest problem we had was getting stuff out of the gravel traps - totally impossible without the snatch tractor.

Hepatic,

Were you at Redgate? I was racing in Oldes but Goldies, but spectated for the 'Groovy Baby' from there - it was chaotic (from a driving POV) and looked *very* dangerous for marshalls - cars overtaking under waved yellows, spinning (nearly wrote sinning) under yellows, and even going off. Do you know if anyone got their knuckles rapped? Did any marshalls protest? I have to say that in many years of racing and spectating, that race from a Redgate POV made me realise the bravery/sheer daftness ;-) of marshalls more than any other.

Chris

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Yimkin

There was an incident (10 plus years ago, I think at Mallory, but may well be wrong) where a single seater was being towed from the rollbar,...

I believe that was a Formula First at Brands, but I'm prepared to be proved wrong. I always ask a driver to wear belts and lids, except when someone beats me to it! I can't remember being at a tow where it wasn't.

Strength of tow bars is surely a common sense issue. At most circuits, there's gravel to be towed out of, and it amazes me how many drivers don't provide a hook that's up to the job. I won't tar everyone with the same brush as the majority are perfectly good, it's a significant minority who appear to fit one because they have to and don't consider that it's may be used for something. Even assuming you can get at it without taking the bodywork apart.

Being towed back is a driver training requirement. Whatever the towing vehilce does, there is very limited control over the actions of the towed. You can't stop and explain it on every occasion however much you'd like to. Perhaps this is something that could be done by the series co-ordinator or similar?

[OXO]

I was at Quarry on Monday and whilst we never heard anymore regarding the incident on the day, had deduced what had happened - only because I was involved with the Brands incident last year. I have heard on the grapevine that possibly some changes are planned to the Blue Book next year due to the incident. Now we've had two in a year ................