SAFETY

The worst accident

Safety intro | Worst accident | Most bizarre accident

Pedal Car Racing's worst accident occurred at the East Park circuit in Wolverhampton in 1994, during the National Championship race.

Two members of one team decided to "Go and chat up a couple of girls" they had seen and crossed the pit straight without looking. Unfortunately, as they were doing so, the leading car came round Io and onto the straight, travelling in excess of 20 mph. Unsighted and concentrating on the race, the driver had no chance of avoiding the impact, and one pedestrian was hit as he tried to jump clear.

He was launched over the top of the car, badly injuring his leg in the process and collecting the driver. The car itself turned over, flinging the driver head first into a wall and knocking him unconscious. Both were removed from the scene by emergency ambulance.

Fortunately, the driver's helmet intervened in the incident but the driver still spent six hours in Wolverhampton hospital being treated for concussion and flesh wounds before being released. The pedestrian spent a similar time in casualty having his leg X-rayed and being treated for shock. Miraculously, neither he nor the driver he took out suffered any broken bones.

The driver's correctly fitted cycle helmet was the only factor that prevented this accident inflicting potentially fatal head injuries. The impact with the wall wrote the helmet off with a large dent about an inch above its bottom edge - corresponding to the location of the driver's right temple. Had the driver had an ill-fitting helmet, tilted back on his head, the helmet would not have caught the impact and would have served no useful purpose.

Bear this in mind when putting your lid on or borrowing someone else's - it must fit and be worn correctly to work.

The other moral of the story, of course, is to always check before you cross the track and as you are doing so.

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