“Going Over”: Thoughts on Safety and Risk in Karting Following my Crash

I watched the door close in slow motion. I had caught up to a slower driver at my home track, and just as I initiated a pass, he moved unexpectedly toward the barrier. My front tire made contact with his. The white light of summer sun filled my vision as I flew from the kart before barrel rolling across the pavement. In five seasons of racing and more than 50 races, I have never “gone over” or had a serious injury until this year. 

I have cracked a few ribs over the years, and that is a common injury that results from either an ill-fitting seat or a bumpy track. But I never experienced anything as bad as going over. I avoided permanent injury, but did break my collarbone and wrist in the impact. 

Unfortunately, the reality of our sport is that to participate you must accept a certain amount of risk. Even LO206 karts, when loaded up in a corner, are carrying a lot of energy, which means there is potential for a big crash and an injury. I consider mine to have been a freak accident, but it might have been avoided with more awareness from the other driver and myself.

Three Steps Drivers Can Take to Minimize Risk. 

       1.    Invest in Safety.

The first step is to invest in the best safety equipment that fits you well, replace it whenever it gets worn out, and always be aware of the safety rules and flags explained by the race director during the drivers’ meeting. No matter how experienced you are or how many races you’ve done at your local track, do not skip the pre-race drivers’ meeting. 99% of the time it is the same old story told by the same old people, but when something changes that 1% of the time, you need to know about it. 

       2.    Practice Awareness on Track. 

Always practice awareness of the other drivers around you. There are essentially three categories of drivers you will encounter: drivers you can trust to be safe and clean, drivers you can trust to be reckless, and drivers you don’t know. Some drivers will always go for a move no matter how small the chance of success, and no matter how many times that exact move at that exact corner has resulted in their race ending in a debris field rather than the top step of the podium. Get to know the drivers you race against, their driving styles, and their tolerances for risk. 

       3.    Drive Predictably.

Predictability is key to safety on track, especially if you are just getting up to speed. It isn’t the dive-bomber that is the most dangerous driver. It is the driver you don’t know that can be the riskiest to deal with, not because they have any ill intent or anything to do with them personally. Rather, you can’t predict how they will react to a move, how safe they are, or their level of awareness. 

New drivers are told to stay on the regular line and be predictable when they are on a hot track. If you are new, I implore you to heed that advice. I know from my own experience that it can be overwhelming on a hot track with experienced drivers pushing hard, and it can be tempting to try to get out of the way. But if you are driving the normal line, faster drivers can predict where you will be when they catch up to you and get around you cleanly.

The Role of Karting Safety Regulations.

Karting is safer these days than when it started in the 1950s in part because of advancements in neck protectors, helmets, and abrasion resistant suits, and, changing regulations that have required their use. 

In Europe, the Federation Internationale d’Automobiles (FIA) governs all manner of motor racing, from karting to F1. The FIA is currently testing a new anti-launch device. I think my crash wouldn't have been as bad if the kart I made contact with was equipped with one. 

The FIA doesn’t have much influence in the world of US karting, so this probably won't affect US racers anytime soon. But these bumpers are at the center of debate on many karting forums currently. I am not an expert on running a global sport, but now that i have “gone over” in exactly the way these devices are designed to prevent, arguments against them seem downright ridiculous. 

On one side, purists lament the demise of the essence of the sport and the rising costs associated with karting. But it seems like those guys would stop mandating bumpers and sidepods if they had their way. In a narrow financial sense, safety equipment and bodywork are a small percentage of the average racer’s budget. I just don't buy the expense arguments against these things. 

The aesthetic argument is even less compelling. Take the halo in Formula 1 today. It looks ugly, but it has already saved a few drivers in F1 from potentially catastrophic injuries, so I believe it is a small price to pay. The anti-launch device too is ugly, and it is another expense, and it won’t work every time, but I would rather have paid for a dozen anti-launch devices than get launched from my kart at high speed. 

Whether or not US regulations begin requiring anti-launch devices, I will be looking into adding these to my kart when I get back to the track later this year. I would rather look goofy out there than send another driver into the stratosphere!