Jim Clark Rally - spectators injured

Just read this on BBC website.
This is sad to hear:( Thoughts to there families and all.
I'd hate to think how the driver/co-driver are feeling after this, such a tragic accident.
I just hope there are no kneejerk reactions that will effect rallying or spectating in the fallout of this.
 
Just arrived in my inbox ...

MSA statement on Jim Clark Rally

The Motor Sports Association and everyone in the motor sport community is devastated by the terrible events this afternoon on the Jim Clark Rally. The families and friends of those who have lost their lives and of those who have been injured are in all our thoughts as they face such an awful situation.

Police Scotland are now in control of all aspects of the investigations into the two accidents and both the Police and hospital authorities will issue further bulletins when they can. Everyone waits anxiously for some better news of those who have been injured.

As with any serious incident, today's accidents will also be subject to full enquiries by the MSA to ensure that any lessons are learned to assist in the constant drive to provide the highest possible safety standards at all motor sport events.

Release MSA14-021: 31 May 2014
For media information only. No regulatory value.

Very very said indeed, condolences to those involved. as above I hope a knee jerk reaction is avoided.
 
I always get a bit nervous when spectators are killed, it can often bring in rule/law changes compared with a driver dying.

~4.8 people die on the public highway every day though.
 
Can only echo the condolences and the hopes of avoiding a knee jerk reaction. I hope the drivers involved in the two accidents are supported properly too.

After the incident on the Snowman last year, they attempted to close off routes of spectator access this year which of course stopped nobody as you can always ramble in to a forrest one way or another. Where will they go next trying to make a dangerous activity less dangerous before attempting to just cancel it all together.

I just hope that if it becomes apparent the injured were standing in a dangerous position next to the road that it is reported as such. An attempt to educate is all that is needed, not sweeping, over reacting changes to the sport.
 
Memphis said:
I just hope that if it becomes apparent the injured were standing in a dangerous position next to the road that it is reported as such. An attempt to educate is all that is needed, not sweeping, over reacting changes to the sport.
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We're not completely sure what the circumstances are just yet, if they were standing on the outside of a bend, or if the crew simply lost control. An official statement from the organisers is pending so in regards to speculation can we wait until then.
 
It's looking like the car lost control on high speed 'yumps' and the spectators were standing on the side of the road, not officially confirmed however.

I do agree with Memphis on the reporting and the blame has already started. An idiot Sky reporter basically blamed the organisers and the crew of the car concerned before knowing any of the facts leading to the accident. The crew must be feeling absolutely terrible.

In regards to standing in a dangerous position, I have done and we all do it, who wants to stand in a field 200 yards away? Spectators go for the thrill as much as the crews do, there's no point otherwise.
 
justbeats said:
In regards to standing in a dangerous position, I have done and we all do it, who wants to stand in a field 200 yards away? Spectators go for the thrill as much as the crews do, there's no point otherwise.
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I completely agree.
I personally have been very close to being taken out on 4 occasions, not from purposely standing in dangerous spot* but simply from cars having random accidents, mistakes happen, dosnt stop me from going to watch.

*ok, one in hindsight might have been a bit silly, outside of an unsighted uphill off camber right/left, but to my defence there was a hefty ditch between the road and me and i was behind the tape(lesson learnt).
 
Anyone with common sense knows standing on the outisde of a bend is more dangerous than the inside. Ofcourse with rallying anything can happen so on the inside you aren't safe but certainly safer.

Such a shame though, thoughts are with familes and the team.
 
Indeed, however this has happened on a straight bit of road, the car losing control on the yumps.

Out of interest, hoping that the survivor recovers fully, I wonder who he will blame for this. Odds on he'll say he was too close to the stage and that it was just bad luck that the car came off where it did.
 
I go every year and was there on Friday night but not Saturday, it's always busy and while the marshals do their best to advise and restrict spectators to minimise the dangers, it's impossible to police every metre and common sense over the best view is required.
No-one knows the details yet but there is a small hump and the cars can be airborne, perhaps something broke on landing.

It's a massive event with a huge following, thoughts with the people involved and their familes.
 
Just back from the Jim Clark, a couple of us went up to support my friend who was to be a Nav in the Reiver Rally today but we decided to make a weekend of it and volunteered for Marshalling on the Saturday on the Eccles stage and we're about 400m from where the non-fatal accident happened.

Everyone directly involved with the rally and in the local area is just utterly shocked by it all. It'll take a few days to clear all the info out so I'll not speculate as 90% of what I know is 2nd-3rd hand at least.

I took this pic with my marshalling gear on my car as I was quite chuffed to be involved on Saturday morning.

jcrally01.jpg
 
justbeats said:
Indeed, however this has happened on a straight bit of road, the car losing control on the yumps.

Out of interest, hoping that the survivor recovers fully, I wonder who he will blame for this. Odds on he'll say he was too close to the stage and that it was just bad luck that the car came off where it did.
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Don't be so sure. Watched a documentary about Group B recently, and obviously it put a lot of focus at the end on the massive accidents which closed it down.

One of the survivors completely blamed the formula, and refused to accept any blame - despite the fact that in that accident there had literally been a crown of people standing in the middle of the road, and they didn't part quickly enough.

How you can stand on a race track and not accept any blame for getting hit is beyond me, but there you go.
 
I have seen the group B footage and that was just crazy stuff at that time. Myself and those I know, we stand close and accept the fact that we are taking a risk, it's kind of an understanding between die-hard spectators, I would be very surprised if they blamed the organisers or the crew to be honest.

It seems that Melanie Holmes the navi from car 24 gave CPR to the survivor and saved his life, very well done to her.
 
bazzabear said:
Don't be so sure. Watched a documentary about Group B recently, and obviously it put a lot of focus at the end on the massive accidents which closed it down.

One of the survivors completely blamed the formula, and refused to accept any blame - despite the fact that in that accident there had literally been a crown of people standing in the middle of the road, and they didn't part quickly enough.

How you can stand on a race track and not accept any blame for getting hit is beyond me, but there you go.
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I saw this one and couldn't fathom how that guy came to that conclusion either. Most of the other spectators who were injured were accepting that they took the risk knowingly, but that one chap was very odd.

It's obviously tragic, but I hope it doesn't cause some knee-jerk reaction, especially as road events have just been opened up again.
 
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