Jim Clark Rally

[driveace]

Bad news on Sky News Jim Clark Rally has been cancelled after an incident where at least 5 spectators are seriously injured
Hope the spectators involved can recover from their injuries and there are no fatalities
This is bad news for thr rally freternaty and could go against our quest to have closed road for rallies

[driveace]

One report says there are at least 15 Ambulances there plus an Air Ambulance too ,and people working on about 15 spectators

[Mark]

Three spectators killed I'm afraid. Very sad :(. The Jim Clark is one of the few rallies I've been to in person.

[driveace]

Looks like I spectated here on this very stage last year.We spectated by the farmhouse at the top ,then went down to where the narrow bridge and the jump is .Last year a car took off on the jump,went up the high banking but luckily he got it back on the road .Thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved ,it's horrendous and a wake up call too .Motorsport IS dangerous !

[J4MIE]

Motorsport is dangerous but to stand anywhere after that bridge you have to be absolutely crackers, the only place on the whole event that I would absolutely not let anybody I know go to.

Shame about the speculation and general lack of understanding about rallying - someone posted on the Scotsman website suggesting that the driver should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving!!

I think this could potentially be the last Jim Clark Rally held, but we'll see what happens when everything is looked into.

[Starter]

It amazes me that spectator injury and death are not common occurrences at performance rallies. And I have spent a large number of years standing trackside as a marshal at all kinds of races, so I am very aware of the dangers and how to mitigate them. The seeming lack of spectator control, coupled with their insistence on standing on the very edge of the course, is a recipe for disaster. All you need is driver/navigator error or a mechanical and the car leaves the (intended) track at speed. I also understand the logistical difficulty in spectator control in a rally environment. So not sure how you'd solve it.

[steveaki13]

This is very sad news and as you guys have stated, its a sad reminder of how dangerous motorsport can be.

I do hope this is not the end of the rally. I know is sad, but the fans one assumes knew the risks and rally is always dangerous with crowds so close.

I just hope the rally isnt canned due to this as a knee jerk reaction. Extra safety measures around these danger zones is the answer rather than stopping the rally itself.

[Mintexmemory]

I do hope this is not the end of the rally. I know is sad, but the fans one assumes knew the risks and rally is always dangerous with crowds so close.




This is the problem with the JC (and to a greater extent the Wales Rally GB). You get significant numbers of local (or once a year, car-loads in the case of WRGB) spectators who are drawn to the spectacle but have little or no understanding about the likely behaviour of cars should something go wrong at the point they are spectating. Because they take no continual interest in the sport they never get exposure to the debate on spectator safety, don't read the pre-event info and often are involved in giving crap to the marshals who try to advise them. I don't know the exact circumstances of this tragedy and the experience (or otherwise) of the deceased but when people are standing in dangerous spots it is usually because they are 'casuals' or togs wearing the bib of invulnerability!

[driveace]

Seemingly they were keen rally fans who spectated quite often and were from Glasgow
Still very sad and i really do hope there is not a knee jerk reaction to stop closed road rallies

[Starter]

Seemingly they were keen rally fans who spectated quite often and were from Glasgow
Still very sad and i really do hope there is not a knee jerk reaction to stop closed road rallies
I have no idea what the law is there, but if it was in the US the lawyers would be circling like sharks after bloody red meat.

[Mintexmemory]

I have no idea what the law is there, but if it was in the US the lawyers would be circling like sharks after bloody red meat.

Apart from the standard form 'Motorsport is dangerous, members of the public attend at their own risk' carried on all official documents associated with rallies, this is probably one of the few remaining areas where the common law concept of Volenti non fit injuria applies in both English and Scottish law. May not stop someone trying it on but I don't think they'll get far