Karting accidents

[MPIGP - Phillip Gordon]

Are they really 'accidents'? accidents or not, how can they be reduced?

[Rick]

I don't think they will ever be reduced. This is because some drivers make decisions that more likely to cause contact. These same drivers tend to continue their behavior regardless of what has happened in the past. The good thing is that these drivers are easy to identify. They have a history of being involved in (or causing) incidents. The best you can do is to keep that in mind when driving near them on the track and plan ahead for when they lose control again. I think it would be helpful if the track staff or series director keeps track of drivers who are involved in multiple incidents and give them warnings or some kind of penalty to discourage such behavior in the future. Otherwise, those drivers will continue to act as they have in the past. Of course, these judgment calls must be made objectively by those who do not have a vested interest in the outcome of the race or season.

[peterjank]

The penalty situation is a tough one.

In vintage car racing, some sanctioning bodies ban drivers from competing for three years following any car to car contact. That obviously is too severe a penalty for karting because karters are racing rather than providing a high speed parade for spectators.

Going to the other extreme, doing nothing about dangerous drivers is likely to result in a decline in the number of drivers willing to participate and law suits filed by injured parties.

In the end, for better or for worse, it is a business decision.