Speed kills again!

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Sorry, I just don't buy the argument that it's the speed that kills. Humans 
have travelled MUCH faster than 230 mph and survived the crash. Heck, 
astronauts routinely survived g forces in excess of some car accidents as 
part of launch and re entry. Speed does not kill nor is it dangerous per 
se. Deceleration is very dangerous beyond the limits of the endurance of 
the human frame. That's why naked concrete walls at American race tracks 
are unforgivable negligence.  North America's highways are MUCH safer to 
drive on than the race tracks, apart from the low levels of driving skills.

In this day and age it is not necessary to expose racing drivers to these 
risks. there's some talk about airbags for F1 but this was deemed 
unnecessary because existing five point harnesses are more than up to the 
task. Instead, the F1 regulations effectively require the car to provide 
proper crush zones in front of the driver's feet  and in the side pods, and 
momentum absorbing gravel traps and run off areas at the hazardous 
locations on the track, as well as Armco and tire walls where the run off 
and traps are inadequate. it's by no means perfect but F1 responds 
positively to newer hazards as they appear.

BTW, grooved tires do not slow the cars down enough to make any safety 
difference, quite the opposite. The grooved tires were instituted in an 
effort to bring some excitement back into racing by slowing the cornering 
speeds to allow overtaking in the braking zones. It's not working, and the 
drivers resent the compromise to the handling of the cars. The new track at 
Malaysia illustrates the problem. The old race tracks are too tight to 
permit much passing given the extremely high power to weight ratios and 
tremendous grip available to modern GP cars. the race at Malaysia was 
brilliant because there was more than one correct racing line available.

Again, it's not the cars or the drivers, it's the tracks are not suitable 
for the current cars. Monza, Silverstone, Spa, Malaysia, and Suzuka are 
good, the rest are too tight in the corners. The length of the straights 
and the speeds attainable make very little difference to the ability to 
pass, as the cars are very close in power/drag ratios.

Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner

------------------------------