Conliffe Wilmot-Simpson October 1, 2023
The billboards are out again. Racing at Vernamfield will be back in October. It is almost billed as a family fun day. Children under 12 Free! Burnouts, spinouts, the music and thunder of high performance engines. Drag Rivals with improved machinery and high levels of determination with a score to settle form the last meet. Food, Liquor the enjoyment of the company of friends – What could possibly go wrong?
On July 17, 2022, Ashley Finley-Forbes a spectator died after being injured when a car got out of control and plunged into the crowd at Vernamfield. Several other persons were injured.
Crashes at drag racing event are not unknown: This is a case from the US with two fatalities:
https://nypost.com/2021/10/24/texas-drag-race-crash-leaves-two-children-dead-8-injured
Eight persons died in this case:
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23194752
This is a case from Australia
The organizers stated that they took all necessary and mandatory precautions sanctioned by the motorsport regulator — Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC) — to ensure the safety of spectators, participants and team members at the event. Permits they say were granted by the Police, The JMMC and the Clarendon Municipal Corporation. The Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) was quick to wash its hands of the matter.
What can we do to ensure that nobody dies this October?
I am making two appeals.
ORGANIZERS
A. Develop and enforce your own Safety Regulations. Your legal and moral responsibility and consequent liability will not end because you were following the rules of the regulators. A woman died. Clearly the regulations to which you were fully compliant were inadequate to prevent injury and death. Full compliance does not rule out negligence.
B. Spectators must be warned of the dangers of the sport by billboards and public announcements and must be encouraged and even coerced to behave in accordance with track rules. Marshalls must marshal crowd behavior.
C. Every entrant to the event should have a ticket that warns of the risk of the event. Be careful. The children under twelve who are entering for free, may not be ticket holders and may require special warning.
D. Engineer away some of the risk, by building temporary elevated stands with fences away from the tracks, which will enhance viewing of the events, and serve as protective barriers for flying debris. At high speeds vehicles can become airborne and will fly over barriers
E. Thoroughly inspect and ensure that race vehicles are safe for the intended course and are not likely to veer into the crowd due to mechanical defects or to cause injury to the drivers. The words of the driver/mechanic is not enough. There are many cars which get to a NASCAR track but are unable to compete because they fail the mandatory pre-race inspection.
F. Ensure that drivers are medically examined and drug tested prior to events to minimize the chances of impairment contributing to accidents. A drunk driver in a high performance car around spectators is like a death wish.
G. Continue with your barrier improvements, by extending them even more along the track
SPECTATORS
Drag racing is not like a Church barbecue, where perhaps the greatest risk is a running belly from a badly prepared meal. These are high risk events. Physics and aerodynamics can turn a 3000 lbs car into a glider that lands in a stand meters away from the track and right where you are sitting.
A. Be alert to the possible dangers before you decide to go.
B. Follow ALL of the track rules. Some may be tedious and bothersome, but they are designed to protect you.
C. Think about the young children. The Freeness is very attractive. But can a child of 4 or 6 appreciate the nuances of a drag race? Will they be able to response appropriately in case of an emergency? Will you be able to monitor them properly? The promoters are not losing anything if they stay home and you are not gaining much by taking them, so maybe, the best thing is to let them stay at home.
D. Be very alert to all that will happen around you. Plan to arrive and to leave the event sober. Leave your favorite High to when you get home after the races. Racing home after the event is never a good idea. Flywith the Red Bull wings at home.
E. Do your own risk assessment. Can a small car tyre or a simple pedestrian barrier stop a 500 Horsepower car at full speed from running over you? The previous barriers appeared to be there to prevent the crowd from getting to close to the cars and not to prevent the cars from getting close to the spectators. But even with sturdier barriers, you still need to be alert and prepared to move quickly.
Coward man still keep sound bones.
References
NASCAR Car Inspection Process. https://www.rookieroad.com/nascar/car-inspection-process-9291701/
Safety in Drag Racing .. https://tukes.fi/en/safety-in-drag-racing-and-high-speed-racing-events
NHRA Safety Rules: http://st.hotrod.com/uploads/sites/21/2018/03/NHRA-Racing-Safety-Rules.pdf
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