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04-19-2008, 04:10 AM
Getting home safely is no accident. It is a time worn cliche that rings of fact. An accident by definition is "an unintentional or unexpected happening, etc." Over the years it has been my observation that accidents don't happen, they are caused. There are primarily three causes of accidents: material failures, ignorance, and indifference/inattention. Material failure accounts for very few events in our lives resulting in an accident. Ignorance has a larger proportion but is still small because of the wealth of information available to us. That leaves inattention/indifference as the cause of the majority of "accidents". Inattention is easy to understand, if we engage in talking on cell phones, groom ourselves, prepare for a meeting, etc. while we are driving we are destined to get into trouble. No matter how much we hone our driving skills by doing DE or AX. Indifference is a whole other subject. If you are working on your car and a 10.8 bolt is required and you only have a 4.6 on hand and use it, if it fails because of overstress, you caused that "accident". If you jack up your car without chocking it and placing jack stands underneath it, even just to look at something or change a tire, and the jack fails or slips, whatever damage or injury that results is not an accident but indifference to known safe practice.
When we are on the track or auto cross course everyone is "tuned in", no distractions, clear minded and focused on our driving. Let us take that attention with us home, in the pits, or wherever we are in whatever we are doing and the only "accidents" we will be involved in will be the ones out of our control.
On a lighter note, with our first event approaching, how many of you have an "emergency" kit with you at the track? I'm not referring to a first aid kit, but items that are small in context but if we don't have them it could cause you unnecessary anxiety. I am referring to items such as drive/serpentine belts, motor oil, light bulbs, and fuses. At least one car fails grid tech because of a burned our brake light. While there are stores near the track where you can obtain these items, you will lose up to an hour or more running out to get them. This may cause you to miss a run session, which is almost as bad as forgetting to ice down the beer for the end of the day.
hock:
Let us get our cars and ourselves ready, the season is HERE!
WALLY
When we are on the track or auto cross course everyone is "tuned in", no distractions, clear minded and focused on our driving. Let us take that attention with us home, in the pits, or wherever we are in whatever we are doing and the only "accidents" we will be involved in will be the ones out of our control.
On a lighter note, with our first event approaching, how many of you have an "emergency" kit with you at the track? I'm not referring to a first aid kit, but items that are small in context but if we don't have them it could cause you unnecessary anxiety. I am referring to items such as drive/serpentine belts, motor oil, light bulbs, and fuses. At least one car fails grid tech because of a burned our brake light. While there are stores near the track where you can obtain these items, you will lose up to an hour or more running out to get them. This may cause you to miss a run session, which is almost as bad as forgetting to ice down the beer for the end of the day.
hock:Let us get our cars and ourselves ready, the season is HERE!
WALLY