Motor racing safety
Dr Crippen’s father was involved in motor sport and so I have always been a fan of grand prix motor racing. I can remember, as a small child, Jackie Stewart winning his first world championship. I have vague memories of my father telling me of the catastrophe at Le Mans when a car went into the crowd. I remember Taffy Von Trips, Bandini, and Jim Clark. All tragedies that would not happen today.
In the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago we witnessed what was without doubt the worst and most terrifying accident I have ever seen, and I have seen a fair few. As it was endlessly repeated, I had to avert my eyes. I knew that I had seen a motor racing driver die and seeing it once was once too much. Then the news came through that Robert Kubica had survived. Not only had he survived, but he was unhurt. Since then, secure in the knowledge that he had not been hurt, I watched and re-watched the crash, fascinated. It is a tribute to Jackie Stewart, who was the first driver to insist on improvements in safety, and to the engineering technology that has been developed, that a man can walk away from a crash like that. This technology will gradually spill over into the cars that we drive and will benefit us all.
And hasn’t motor racing once again become fascinating? Lewis Hamilton has brought an implausible degree of talent to a sport that was in danger of becoming processional. Is Lewis the Tiger Woods (Tiger probably has other things on his mind just at the moment - Tiger and Elin Woods just celebrated the birth of their daughter, Sam) of Grand Prix racing? I do not know the answer to that question.
Lewis HamiltonAlready the British press are building Lewis Hamilton up into the first billion pound British sportsman. There is a long way to go before he matches the genius and consistency of Tiger Woods but, whatever happens, it is going to be an exciting motor racing season. More exciting than the likeable but worried Fernando Alonso was expecting.
Whatever the outcome of the world championship, and British bookies are making Lewis Hamilton the favourite, we can watch the season unfold secure in the knowledge that motor racing as a sport is now safer than boxing, and far more exciting.
Labels: hamilton, kubixa, motor racing, safety, tiger woods
19 Comments:
Would you rather your child competed in motorcycle road racing (TT etc)or boxing?
Boxing is many times safer.
I and I suspect you would, if forced, choose motorcycling for my progeny.
I would be happy to admit that I admire TT racers more than I admire boxers.
Previously you have stated your distaste for boxing, I tend to agree.
However, if my son only had one exceptional ability, that being pugilistic skill, I could not in good conscience advise him to get himself a good job in a call centre.
Didn't know you were a motor racing fan, Dr. I too saw the Kubica crash live last week. I'm an experienced motor racing fan, and the first thing I look for is whether the driver moves when the car finally stops. Kubica didn't, and I was worried. Thankfully, he was probably just stunned.
I know far, far too much about motor racing deaths (morbidity is a big part of my persona), and of the names you mention, that of Lorenzo Bandini chills me. The thought of burning in a car for 4 minutes and having to live for 3 days afterwards is appalling.
The difference between the old days and now is shown by the accident of Roger Williamson in the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, a similar accident to Kubica's in several ways. The difference being that his car caught fire, and the 'safety measures' were atrocious. For those who really want to know (and I must warn them), you should visit this page. (I declare my interest here and admit this is my own creation - non-money making, I can assure you).
Hi M Lawrenson
Wonderful.
A fellow motor racing anorak.
Like you, I always found Bandini's death the most horrifying. It took far too long to get him out of the car, and possible the attempts to turn the car spilt the petrol.
He had over 70% burns and I think he was about 30 years old. The medical rule of thumb is that you add the age to the % burns; if it comes to a hundred or more, you have probably had it. With optimum modern treatment, he might have survived, though the scarring would have been horrendus. Worse than Lauda.
But they did not have the equipment in Monte Carlo - this resulted in a GP mobile burns unit, which I remeber being taken was taken round as a child.
As a child, I remember being annoyed with Jackie Stewart going on about safety. I thought motor racing was meant to be dangerous. What an odious beast I must have been.
But I followed it all; the two Stirling Moss crashes (have you read All but my life?), Mike Hawthorn skidding his Jaguar on an ordinary road..... and so one, and so forth.
This is my one serious bit of anoraking - bit off piste for NHS BLOG DOCTOR, but if a lot of comments come in on it, I will do some more.
Excellent light relief, and with Lewis Hamilton we could be in the Tiger Woods league.
John
Thanks for the reply.
Many things conspired against poor Bandini after his crash. Apparently, at first they thought he'd been thrown out on impact (this was before seat belts), which delayed things a bit. When they noticed he was still in the car, they saw an arm trapped between the road and the cockpit, so the firemen decided it was best to right the car the hard way as far as leverage goes.
When they finally did get it upright and pulled Lorenzo from his seat, the fire flared back up again, so they dropped him on the ground and left him there while they tried to put it out.
After that, they put him on a stretcher and boated him off to Princess Grace Hospital (the accident was right next to the harbour). Most of his burns were 3rd degree, and from the pictures I've seen it boggles the mind how he survived as long as he did. What would have been the standard treatment for someone in Bandini's condition?
Not sure that mobile burns unit got a great deal of action in F1. In car fire, a driver was usually more likely to die of asphyxiation than burns. And with the rubbish fire equipment at tracks, they were generally done for anyway - sometimes lingering painfully for days or even weeks.
Did you read Steve Olvey's book 'Rapid Response - My Life As A Motor Racing Life Saver'? He has some choice words about inappropriate 'health care practictioners' and their protocols, too :)
My father always said no one watches car races for the RACE but only for the accidents..
Four sports I find utterly, utterly boring beyond belief are swimming, car races, bicycle races and tennis (Flanders and Swann come to mind.)
But then, my sainted father was also wont to say that whenever he felt the urge to exercise, he would lie down until the fit passed, and I'm much the same way.
Having watched and taken part in motor sport, albeit a few years ago now, you see the advances coming through into our normal motoring more and more these days, not only from Formula 1 but from the WRC and similar, these include both performance and safety features. One of the main things has to be safety where nowadays you just don't buy a car without looking at its safety ratings. I was about to buy a Chrysler Voyager this year but rejected it after discovering the RHD version had severly reduced safety because of poor design. In past years this would not have mattered as much but now it is one of the key decision areas. F1 discovered that safety was key when both Drivers and the Public were turned off from the sport because of poor safety, Car Manufacturers are now discovering that it is also now key to their ability to sell cars.
Antigonos, you're a little hard on tennis. It's only mildly tedious: the other three surely set out to be aggressively boring. Personally, I recommend quoits.
I feel safe admitting that I am an F1 anorak in this company.
Whenever there is a spectacular crash from which someone walks away, I want a scrolling banner at the bottom of the screen: "And this, children, is why you must study science. One day, you will design cars like these and the technology wlll benefit all of us. The particularly amazing physics and engineering involved here is...".
Tony
Back from Everest where the fastest thing around has been the ambling yak.
There is nothing more boring than people saying that motor racing is boring.
You just do not understand what you are watching.
I was at the monaco grand prix this year, where I was last about 12 years ago. I am still amazed at what these guys can do, up to and including the last on the grid. And to see those beautiful cars driven at those speeds, with the noise, has to be experienced once.
Television just doesn't do it justice.
A post that contains neither the NHS nor the government?
Anyway, did anyone ever read Sid Watkins' Life at the Limit?
This sympathetic piece is a welcome relief from the recent "pedantic man" and "angry man" pieces. However it's interesting to see how an apparently kind, avuncular, gentlemanly, compassionate, educated and likeable man can behave like a bully when sufficiently provoked.
More of a Morse than a Dr Cameron.
Keep fighting, but don't lose your readers! We need to see the attractive side of you too.
I too was shocked and amazed at Kubica's accident - absolutely amazing that he got out pretty much unhurt!
Have to say though that I'm also a fan of boxing - it's sport at its purest, one man vs another. And it can be relatively safe with sensible refereeing, and at the end of the day it's the individual's choice to take part.
And I also like tennis, swimming, cricket, tiddlywinks, indoor bowls, darts....... (i could go on a very long time!). I'd nearly had enough of F1, having watched a lot more Moto GP recently, but this season has been fantastic. Go Lewis! And talking about what you would have your kids doing, if I ever have any they're getting a kart for their 1st birthday!
Off to Amazon to buy sid watkins' book now (never knew he'd written one!) :o)
wise old woman
thank you. That is very sweet.
You are probably right, I have been pretty angry over the last few posts; I do have some definite "press red button at your peril" areas.
Trouble is, I use NHS BLOG DOCTOR to vent - and pressures at work and my anger at MTAS and MMC coupled with over exposure to Patricia Hewitt have meant the red buttons have all been pressed at the same time.
I am angry about the dumbing down; I really believe that the public does not understand what is happening, and it does not get much exposure in the MSM. I really do not blame, or hate, the people to whom the medical care is dumbed down, but I know it sometimes comes over like that.
However, you are right. I think I shall do some gentler more broadly ranging posts before Tom Reyolds assassinates me!!
Wednesday is writing day.
We will see what happens.
I am not quite as intolerantly curmudgeonly as you may think!
John
My son's 5th birthday is coming up in July, and he will have his 1st motorbike !
Thankfully, he loves cars and bikes, and his 2yrs old brother loves vroom vroom...
I am so relieved !
Doc, get the missus to buy you a track half-day at one of the circuits for your birthday. Mine did - whizzed around Thruxton in a Formula Renault. Six inches from the floor in an open-cockpit, kosher racing car - even if it is old and speed limited at 100 - is seriously good fun. And I kept it on the black bit... just.
mongoose
PS Nonsense! You are never too old.
On the "Is Lewis Hamilton F1's Tiger Woods" front, I get The Week which often has a Tag Heuer ad on the back page. Two weeks ago, the endorsing sportsman was Tiger; last week Lewis. The style of the photos makes them look like long-lost twins.
I rest my case.
Pascal said...
There is nothing more boring than people saying that motor racing is boring.
You just do not understand what you are watching.
Oh dear, I have an embarrassing confession: one the one occasion I accompanied Mr HCW and his engineer pals to Silverstone, I was so bored I actually fell asleep!
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