Crash barrier safety????

calcium · 18 Apr 2003, 09:35 (Ref:572931)

I was watching a TV program last night and it showed a car going straight through ( not over) a crash barrier completely demolishing it.

This was at Oulton Park and I think it was at lodge corner. This horrified me, I was lucky enough to get trackside at Oulton Park last season and I felt perfectly safe walking behind the crash barrier, now I'm not so sure.

I know motorsport is dangerous and very unpredictable, you're not 100% safe as a spectator but I really thought the crash barriers were a long stronger than demonstrated in the clip I saw last night, very, very worrying.

neil_davidson2 · 18 Apr 2003, 17:24 (Ref:573354)

Calcium, fortunately it doesn't happen that often but if something hits the barriers hard enough and fast enough then it's always a possibility - Ye cannae change the laws of physics!

When you're down behind the barriers always keep an eye on what's happening and if something starts heading towards where you're standing then be somewhere else in a hurry. Even if the car in most cases won't come thru there's always a chance of debris making it over the top. As you already said - Motorsport is dangerous, it gets more dangerous the closer you get to it!

Stay Safe
Neil

Dave Brand · 18 Apr 2003, 19:31 (Ref:573457)

Quote:

Originally posted by calcium
I felt perfectly safe walking behind the crash barrier, now I'm not so sure.

Nowhere's perfectly safe. Wherever you are, you must have your escape route planned - it also helps, as I've proved recently, to have a plan 'B'!

Will we see you at Oulton this weekend? Not sure where we'll be, but you've got my mobile number, haven't you?

JimW · 18 Apr 2003, 19:32 (Ref:573458)

Life is not safe, just chose where you want to take the risks.

Jim

Teletubby · 19 Apr 2003, 05:05 (Ref:573753)

Crikey Jim, that's rather philosophical!

paul.hickman · 19 Apr 2003, 08:15 (Ref:573807)

Has Jim finally been tainted by the esoteric cloisters of academe?... whatever, it is a brilliant quote (jw's or otherwise...)

275 GTB-4 · 19 Apr 2003, 10:36 (Ref:573915)

Quote:

Originally posted by calcium
I was watching a TV program last night and it showed a car going straight through ( not over) a crash barrier completely demolishing it.

This was at Oulton Park and I think it was at lodge corner. This horrified me, I was lucky enough to get trackside at Oulton Park last season and I felt perfectly safe walking behind the crash barrier, now I'm not so sure.

I know motorsport is dangerous and very unpredictable, you're not 100% safe as a spectator but I really thought the crash barriers were a long stronger than demonstrated in the clip I saw last night, very, very worrying.

Keep in mind that "ARMCO" id designed to deform and/or bend like a rubber strip to absorb energy and hopefully keep the vehicle from going over the 300 foot precipice into the stream below. Same deal on the race track, don't be near it when the car hits. Nothing should be attached to it because it will be driven sideways when the barrier deforms. If it is close to the track near a "stop" corner then additional "cushioning" needs to be in place (tyre barrier). If this the case where you saw the incident, then lobby for increased protection

calcium · 22 Apr 2003, 08:00 (Ref:576199)

I felt perfectly safe walking behind the crash barrier, now I'm not so sure.

Ummmmmm, maybe I could have worded that better.I don't feel "perfectly safe" but I maybe would have put more faith into the barrier before I saw the footage than I do now.

Dave and Karen and all the other marshals I saw over the weekend, thank you for making me feel welcome. It was really nice to meet you all and I hope you realised that I do have concern for my (and others) safety ( and eyes in the back of my head)which maybe isn't the impression you got with this post

blueblackboy · 22 Apr 2003, 12:11 (Ref:576374)

As a regular at Oulton, I would not put any faith in the barriers whatsoever. Always have somewhere to run away to as the barriers have a nasty habit of either bending or simply collapsing. I know barriers are meant to give a little to absorb the impact, but the ones at Oulton seem to give a little too much on occasions!! I don't mean to be critical but the MSA seem to turn a blind eye to this as over the past few years it seems to be a regular occurrence, and is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion.

Dave Brand · 22 Apr 2003, 12:53 (Ref:576409)

Quote:

Originally posted by calcium
Dave and Karen and all the other marshals I saw over the weekend, thank you for making me feel welcome.

We were pleased to see you.....but why did you have to bring the rain with you?

Now, about that website........

calcium · 22 Apr 2003, 13:09 (Ref:576433)

Noooo, not the web site!!!! Hey, I didn't bring the rain, it came from down South and I'm up North.

P.S. Ooooo, congrates on 900 posts, have a drink

Mark Mitchell · 22 Apr 2003, 16:29 (Ref:576660)

Quote:

Originally posted by calcium
I was watching a TV program last night and it showed a car going straight through a crash barrier completely demolishing it....This was at Oulton Park ......I really thought the crash barriers were a lot stronger...

Oulton Park is built on very sandy ground in places and we do encounter a lot of problems with barriers (Although not much usually goes through them) "Falling Over"
Because the posts holding the armco upright are bedded into this sandy foundation - anything that his them (Druids is a fave) pretty hard (Porsches are typical) usually means a delay whilst they are "re-planted". Can sometimes cause quite lenghthy disruptions to timetables.
So drivers please note - don't crash at Druids as you'll hold us all up. It's better to have an "Off" somewhere like Cascades (But mind the pond)

calcium · 22 Apr 2003, 16:36 (Ref:576668)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Brand

Will we see you at Oulton this weekend? Not sure where we'll be, but you've got my mobile number, haven't you?

Hi Dave, yes I'll be there at the weekend........Doh!!!!!
(sorry, missed this post)

PVDA · 24 Apr 2003, 11:11 (Ref:579257)

The attached pic was taken at Sandown several years ago. The armco ended up bent back about 1 metre after a near head on impact BUT it was pushed back nearly 3 metres on impact but sprang back to only 1 metre after the car bounced off it.

Dave Brand · 24 Apr 2003, 11:54 (Ref:579292)

Quote:

Originally posted by observer
Because the posts holding the armco upright are bedded into this sandy foundation - anything that his them (Druids is a fave) pretty hard (Porsches are typical) usually means a delay whilst they are "re-planted".

That may even be deliberate. The post 'falling over' absorbs some of the kinetic energy while giving the vehicle a 'softer' stop. If the posts were embedded in concrete it's conceivable that in a very big impact they could break, making their reinstatement a day's, rather than half an hour's, work!

calcium · 24 Apr 2003, 12:39 (Ref:579347)

With the posts embeded in sand, does this effect the correct working of the crash barrier?

Mark Mitchell · 24 Apr 2003, 12:40 (Ref:579349)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Brand
.....kinetic energy.....?

That's a bit posh! I took up marshalling because I was useless at Physics!

Mark Mitchell · 24 Apr 2003, 12:41 (Ref:579351)

Quote:

Originally posted by calcium
With the posts embeded in sand, does this effect the correct working of the crash barrier?

No! It just means you get covered in sand!!

275 GTB-4 · 24 Apr 2003, 13:07 (Ref:579382)

Quote:

Originally posted by PVDA
The attached pic was taken at Sandown several years ago. The armco ended up bent back about 1 metre after a near head on impact BUT it was pushed back nearly 3 metres on impact but sprang back to only 1 metre after the car bounced off it.

Amasing pic - could have made the lucky snappee some dollars I suppose

PVDA · 26 Apr 2003, 13:43 (Ref:581433)

Quote:

Originally posted by 275 GTB-4
Amasing pic - could have made the lucky snappee some dollars I suppose

The off was between "Gum Tree" and "Dandy Rd" during the 500. The snappee spent the whole day down at Dandy Rd in the rain just waiting for this to happen (I was flagging at Gum Tree) and you've now seen the fruits of his labor.

BFC · 27 Apr 2003, 10:53 (Ref:581960)

Quote:

Originally posted by PVDA
The off was between "Gum Tree" and "Dandy Rd" during the 500. The snappee spent the whole day down at Dandy Rd in the rain just waiting for this to happen (I was flagging at Gum Tree) and you've now seen the fruits of his labor.

probably why he crashed......trying to figure out why and what u were waving flags for lol

G Tanner · 27 Apr 2003, 21:36 (Ref:582372)

I think the rule of thumb is never trust any barrier to stop a car.

Stuart Hill · 27 Apr 2003, 21:59 (Ref:582390)

Quote:

Originally posted by G Tanner
I think the rule of thumb is never trust any barrier to stop a car.

The line I've always used is....:

"if you can see the cars, they can reach you!! "

PVDA · 28 Apr 2003, 11:46 (Ref:582756)

Quote:

Originally posted by BFC
probably why he crashed......trying to figure out why and what u were waving flags for lol

Thanks BFC

I'll remember that next time we share a vehicle

Dave Brand · 28 Apr 2003, 16:12 (Ref:582959)

Quote:

Originally posted by crazystu
The line I've always used is....:

"if you can see the cars, they can reach you!! "

So if I shut my eyes they'll go away?

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