Der Gasser

[ccm911]

Eric:

What can I say?  I agree with what you are saying completely.  It's interesting that you seem to have arrived at the same conclusions I have.

Going off is no big deal.  Going off when you are just begining is. 

After college I worked or a couple years at a ski shop and spent a lot of time on the slopes.  The rule for skiing was as follows:  "If you can not get around an obstacle(fallen skier, bare spot, etc.) in a safe manner, then you are skiing out of contol".  I think this pretty much sums up what should be going on out on the track when we are discussing Drivers Education.  As for racing, it is quite different as the participants have inherently accepted a higher level of risk due to the natue of compeition.

Some of the "fossils" in our club have told me about the time when the Carerras came out in 1984.  They thought the cars were too fast, and that bad things would happen.  But they really didn't.  It was just a period of adjustment.  Remember, at that time folks were running a lot of 914s and stuff like that.  So it really must not be the cars.

So what is it? The DE program?  Not at all.  Drivers Ed has done much more good or folks and their driving by allowing folks to explore the outer limits of driving in a controlled environment.  So far so good.  Now lets add one more thing.  "Outer Limits WHEN, and only when, the student has gotten comfortable on the track.  Certainly not the first time out.

And I keep seeing these references to rain.  As if that absolves everything.  Well, going back to our skiing example, shouldn't folks adjust their driving style in the wet.  How about backing off a bit.  How about driving in control?

It's not the cars, and it certainly is not the DE program.  So what is it?

It is image.  Yes, driving seems to have become an "image sport" where the emphasis has slightly shifted away from education, to speed.  Listen around the next time you are in the pits. It is all about who passed who.  Who went the fastest.  It's rare to hear folks talking about technical stuff.  Except for the veterans.  The guys who have been around a bit have risen above the "machismo factor" and drive for themselves.  Not to impress anyone.

So I really think that is the goal.  Teach the new folks to tone it down a notch in the begining, and we hould see less bad stuff on the track.  Take away the high-school football player mentality and raise it up a notch.

After all, cars don't kill, people do".

CCM