gbaker

I can't speak for injuries or DE's, but, according to the Charlotte Observer, there are approximately 20-25 racing fatalities per year in North America, which has about 450,000 racers.

Without a doubt, the most comprehensive database of racing fatalities in the entire solar system is here.

Bob Rouleau

Here is a data point for you. Last year Rennsport had 15 track days with an average of 130 drivers attending. That's 1950 driver/days. We had one incident, a bent fender and zero injuries. It has been lkike that for the last five years, one damn incident per year, no injuries.

As M758 states, the track can be higher or lower risk - run off areas or walls? I'd add to that the organizer who has a lot to do with how safe a DE is. In my region I consider DE a safe activity and less risky than skiing.

BobbyC

Unless you're selling insurance applying statistical probabilities to a single binary event is faulty logic.

Jimbo951

The number I use is 1 major snafu per 100 track-days. If the car needs to be towed home, that's a major snafu. However, the car might not be totaled.

jester911

I think it depends on the track as well. Some tracks have lots of run off. Some have walls and or armco close to the track. At Barber last weekend I know 2 cars hit the armco and there may have been a 3rd.

No one was hurt and the cars were repairable.

Honestly though, driving around I-285 here in Atl. is way more dangerous. I feel much safer on the track than I do driving around the nutbags in this town.

cmoss

It may well be that insurance companies use those activities as proxies for other activities.

While they can not track all activities, if a person engages in, say, sky diving, that person would not only have a higher level of risk because of sky diving, but might also then be identified as a risk-taker. I'm guessing they have a correlation factor for skydiving in which only a percentage of the correlation can be attributed to sky diving.

I think....

bobt993

Type 5 Yr. Average General Populationb
Risk Per Year Risk Based on Exposure
or Other Measures
Motor Vehicle5 36,676 1 out of 7,700 1.3 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles c,d
Poisoning 9 15,206 1 out of 18,700
Work Related 7 5,800 1 out of 49,000 4.3 deaths per 100,000 workers
Large Trucks 5 5,150 1 out of 55,000 2.5 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles
Pedestrian 5 4,846 1 out of 58,000
Drowning 9 3,409 1 out of 83,500
Fires 9 3,312 1 out of 86,000
Motorcycles 5 3,112 1 out of 91,500 31.3 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles
Railroads 3 931 1 out of 306,000 1.3 deaths per million train miles
Firearms 9 779 1 out of 366,000
Recreational Boating 8 714 1 out of 399,000 5.6 deaths per 100,000 registered boats
Bicycles 5 695 1 out of 410,000
Electric Current 10 410 1 out of 695,000
Air Carriers 2 138a 1 out of 2,067,000 1.9 deaths per 100 million aircraft miles
Flood 4 58 1 out of 4,928,000
Tornado 4 57 1 out of 5,015,000
Lightning 4 47 1 out of 6,061,000
HAZMAT Transportation 1 12 1 out of 23,350,000 4.2 deaths per 100 million shipments

Our government at work. At least now you know what else can kill you.

38D

In 2005, the PCA club racing incident rate was 4% (published in the cub racing news that Jan). That included every incident no matter how minor. My estimate for DE has always been 1-2%, but that number seems to be rising.

To my knowledge there has only been one fatality ever in PCA club racing.

Marc Shaw

FWIW, the BMW Club I attended until I moved west had been in operation for 15 years with only one major crash, one injury (same incident), and no deaths.

Marc

weneversleep

Interesting question: if you only do HPDEs, and have never participated in an "organized race", when you apply for life insurance, do you have to answer "yes" to the question asking "have you ever participated in scuba, auto racing, etc.?"

hacker-pschorr

Wow, I was handed my *** when I suggested DE may be safer for both the driver and the car vs. driving on the street in a different thread.

986

In my 50 or so DE days (@ approx 150 participants) I have seen plenty of incidents but only one injury. (a broken arm)

H2OJazz

I always feel more at risk on the drive home when I realize that most other drivers are paying zero attention to where other cars are, etc.

bobt993

Annnnnnnnnnnnddddddd?