Spectators Killed At Off Road Race

[cabinetman]

There were eight spectators killed at a California desert off road race. A real tragedy. Seems safety measures weren't the best to say the least. From the article:

The crowd was standing within 10 feet of the track with no guard rails separating them from the speeding vehicles.

"There were no barriers at all," Jeff Talbott, inland division chief for the California Highway Patrol, told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

You would think the officials would recognize the need for spectator safety. If nothing else, patrons on the side lines should know better. It's not rocket science to be aware of the risks.
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[Cochese]

This isn't any different than a rally race. RIP to those that died, but it's their own fault.

[sweensdv]

"Here's your sign!" RIP although it's a shame that the last decision they made was such a bad one.

[capncarl]

I have seen the croud run into the road looking for the next car in an off road race, completely blocking the road, like it was a parade waiting for santa's float. What were they thinking? If you watch the rally circuit you will see deaths and injurys to the crowds every year. Drag racing was not much better 40 years ago. Nascar either for that matter. One way to think about it is, we have plenty of people. Kinda like thinning of the herd.

capncarl

[BobSch]

Darwin in action. I've seen people climb over a fence to get on the track.

[jackellis]

I keep thinking how one of the victims could have been my niece or her boyfriend or someone else we know. I agree that the crowd wasn't being mindful enough of their own safety.

On the other hand, I bike for exercise, and riding on the side of the road as required by law involves a similar degree of risk. Perhaps the difference is that the roads I ride on are smoother, but all it takes is a slightly impaired driver to end my life.

[Kristofor]

It's a 50 mile long route, I don't think adding physical barriers (as proposed by some folks on TV) is a practical approach. Allowing folks to take reasonable (or even unreasonable) risks is a valuable part of life as a free and independent being. There are fewer opportunities to exercise that freedom every year.

Some of the trails I most enjoyed hiking in National Parks, have had multiple deaths on them... Occasionally that may be a freak accident, though often it was due to someone disregarding posted or common sense guidelines. While you have to feel for the folks who have died, it would be much more of a tragedy in my opinion if those trails were closed or nerfed in the name of protecting people from themselves...

[JR]

It should be understood that those people drove 150 miles into the Mojave Desert. Smack in the middle of nowhere. This is not a race track per se. It is open country with no civilization for miles in all directions.

They positioned themselves to see the vehicles get maximum air. They failed to consider that the drivers would have no view of the people. They ignored the warning signs, posted by the organizer, indicating they should stay back 125 feet.

The deaths and injuries are unfortunate, but the people were being foolish.

JR

[sparkeyjames]

While a tragedy it sounds to me more like the Darwin awards were won by 8 idiots. Any person in their right mind should know that standing anywhere near speeding cars (or any vehicle) on an offroad course is a surefire way to meet your maker. I watched a video taken from a motorcycle of the Isle of Man race. Spectators were mere feet not 10 feet not 5 feet were talking more like 2-3 feet from the speeding motorcycles. Any misjudgment by a rider could have resulted in quite a few deaths and injuries. The quicker idiots like that eliminate themselves from the gene pool, preferably before breeding, the better off the rest of us will be.

Edit: having now seen video from just up track of the accident. I now know for a fact that the spectators were total morons. Some running right out onto the track between vehicles. Their stupidity got them exactly what they deserved.

[tommyt654]

I have to agree with sparkyjames, while it is a tragic accident the promoters ultimately bare the resposibilty for those folks and should be held accountable. As far as anyone riding a bicycle on a public road I believe the risk should be assumed by the rider as he has the alternative to ride inside a subdivision vs on a public road which I,m sure many here may or may not agree but I for 1 regularly use my wiper sprayer to let them no they are not wanted and cause a hazard to those who use that road as a form of major transportation vs recreational exercise. I for one am sick and tired of these sudo professional bike riders assuming they have the right legally(which they do) to abuse the roadways designated for automobile traffic as a venue for the personal exercise routes which only promotes a hazardous condition for regular and normal traffic flow. They continually abuse the corridors of heavily traversed areas as if they have that type of authority because the laws currently allow it. Those laws need to be changed to provide safe and adequate traffic flow for the majority and not the few who choose to impose their(for now) alleged legal roadway right. How much longer do we have to put up with the abusive slowed and unsafe traffic conditions as well as the dangers they create when they have the ability to ride within the confines of their own subdivisions without creating a dangerous public hazard. I guess when sufficient enough lives have been lost that perhaps the rule of law will change but I for 1 will continue to try to exercise my legal rights to spray and clean my windows and to ride within the comforts of my subdivision without jeoperdizing the rights of others on the roadways. Those rights are for them to have a safe and non hazerdous opportunity to traverse those roadways without outside interference for traffic obsticles which I believe most bike riders now present as a problem

[capncarl]

I do recall seeing reports of the spectators that were lining the roads (goat trails here in Ga.) and touching the rally cars as they flew past on some of the overseas rallys. This accident will probably cause all speed events to be canceled on government land. A lot of the proponents of stopping these events will probably choke when they find out it also puts a stop to their off road bike rides and mountain climbing.
capncarl

[LarryG]

I have to agree with sparkyjames, while it is a tragic accident the promoters ultimately bare the resposibilty for those folks and should be held accountable. As far as anyone riding a bicycle on a public road I believe the risk should be assumed by the rider as he has the alternative to ride inside a subdivision vs on a public road which I,m sure many here may or may not agree but I for 1 regularly use my wiper sprayer to let them no they are not wanted and cause a hazard to those who use that road as a form of major transportation vs recreational exercise. I for one am sick and tired of these sudo professional bike riders assuming they have the right legally(which they do) to abuse the roadways designated for automobile traffic as a venue for the personal exercise routes which only promotes a hazardous condition for regular and normal traffic flow. They continually abuse the corridors of heavily traversed areas as if they have that type of authority because the laws currently allow it. Those laws need to be changed to provide safe and adequate traffic flow for the majority and not the few who choose to impose their(for now) alleged legal roadway right. How much longer do we have to put up with the abusive slowed and unsafe traffic conditions as well as the dangers they create when they have the ability to ride within the confines of their own subdivisions without creating a dangerous public hazard. I guess when sufficient enough lives have been lost that perhaps the rule of law will change but I for 1 will continue to try to exercise my legal rights to spray and clean my windows and to ride within the comforts of my subdivision without jeoperdizing the rights of others on the roadways. Those rights are for them to have a safe and non hazerdous opportunity to traverse those roadways without outside interference for traffic obsticles which I believe most bike riders now present as a problem

If you don't like the law, write your congressman and get it changed. (But good luck, as you'll be fighting the Uniform Vehicle Code used by all 50 states.)

In the meantime, if you encounter me on the road, please feel free to go ahead and give me a spray. A little cooling mist of water is always welcome on a sweltering summer day.

[Cochese]

I do find it rather annoying that the main time I see bicyclists is at 5:00pm on a Friday on a two lane road. One that just so happens to be a major artery to get between cities. After I've been gone from my house for 13 hours already.

Other than that, I usually don't have a problem.

[JR]

FWIW, in my town cyclists commuting to/from work are more numerous than recreational cyclists. And recreational cycling is VERY popular hereabouts.

JR

[tommyt654]

Thats why I guess it will cost the taxpayers milions of dollars to satisfy a few contrite individuals who think they own the road. Its going to be Bike lanes on all major roadways at a cost of millions to taxpayers that prefer to ride in their safe suv or automobile for their daily commute while a chosen few greenies threaten to shutdown our hwys and roadways for safety.I,m not opposed to folks riding their bikes I just believe there is a time and place for everything and have gotten tired of the fact that there are sidewalks that could be ridden on but county and state laws forbid that for the safety concerns of pedestrians while jeoperdizing the lives of cyclists and automobile drivers by forcing the cyclist onto the roadways. Their way around that will be to add an additional 3 ft of roadway to both sides at incredible cost to the taxpayers for the right of a chosen and select few ,b******p to that idea. Next thing you know folks will be tossin thumbtacks out their windows to puncture bike tires in a way to show their discern for this newly funded agenda of the daily biker