Crash: Instructor braces himself with his feet on the dash.
#76
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No opinion here. Just facts. He locked them up due to a misjudgment, too much pedal pressure too quickly and never released them to allow the front wheels to roll and to regain steering. Happens in the snow all the time. A shame.
#77
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#78
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(or you end up in the public roads by smashing through gates and things!
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Even the beginner/novice driver knows a) after a pass leading into a high speed turn get back to race line or (over) brake the car for the new line your in b) if you blow the down shift and cook the corner brake hard in a straight line then off brakes and attempt to drive it through the corner. Applying brakes while trying to turn is first day novice error.
Not being hard on the driver but this is the ABC of driving.
It appears to me he had time to correct after his first two mistakes. It was the third mistake all brakes while sawing the wheel thinking his car might turn. There was room while he was still on the track to let off brake and give the car a chance to hook up and make the turn while scrubbing off excess speed enough to keep it off the wall.
Glad to hear no one was hurt.
Great teaching video for instructors and novice drivers.
Not being hard on the driver but this is the ABC of driving.
It appears to me he had time to correct after his first two mistakes. It was the third mistake all brakes while sawing the wheel thinking his car might turn. There was room while he was still on the track to let off brake and give the car a chance to hook up and make the turn while scrubbing off excess speed enough to keep it off the wall.
Glad to hear no one was hurt.
Great teaching video for instructors and novice drivers.
Problem is that while drivers may "know" what to do, in the heat of the moment they tend to react based on instincts which can be counterproductive unless trained via simulations, exercises, or experience to do the right thing.
When I'm in the right seat, I assume students will have wrong reactions, and stand ready to take preventive actions.
When I'm in the right seat, I assume students will have wrong reactions, and stand ready to take preventive actions.
I watched the video again without sound and the car does not appear to be slowing down. If you look in the mirrors there is no smoke. I believe my original assessment of the driver was too harsh. If you look the car does start to turn but then the front tires don't have enough grip and we see the result. Could quite well be that the tire squeal is all from the fronts scrubbing.
If the brakes were locked up I would expect a lot more smoke and a lot more stop.
Ironic that the camera points down to the parking brake lever. Might of helped, but this unfolded very quickly.
-Mike
If the brakes were locked up I would expect a lot more smoke and a lot more stop.
Ironic that the camera points down to the parking brake lever. Might of helped, but this unfolded very quickly.
-Mike
Unfortunate incident and surprising crumple on that E30.
Something not right here... I don't think he lost the brakes since the tires are squealing from the lock up.
Initially, I thought late pass, off line novice move with a sloppy downshift upsetting the car under hard braking as the rear wagged and the fronts became overwhelmed... but listen to his engine... he rev matches on entry but then the engine suddenly falls silent when he should be dropping a gear and engaging the transmission with higher rpms audible from the downshift.
I'm thinking he came in hot... got on the binders, attempted rev match downshift, felt the car get squirrelly... panicked and immediately went 'two feet in' while crushing the stop pedal creating the lock up and fun ride to the tires.
Something not right here... I don't think he lost the brakes since the tires are squealing from the lock up.
Initially, I thought late pass, off line novice move with a sloppy downshift upsetting the car under hard braking as the rear wagged and the fronts became overwhelmed... but listen to his engine... he rev matches on entry but then the engine suddenly falls silent when he should be dropping a gear and engaging the transmission with higher rpms audible from the downshift.
I'm thinking he came in hot... got on the binders, attempted rev match downshift, felt the car get squirrelly... panicked and immediately went 'two feet in' while crushing the stop pedal creating the lock up and fun ride to the tires.
At no time did he attempt to save it.
It wasnt just one or two errors that caused this incident. Short of a mechanical failure which doesnt explain poor pass, poor line, poor braking decisions, braking and thinking the car will turn... all leads to same conclusion.
Simply blew the braking point and the down shift, upset the car and he had no abilities that kicked in to allow him to save it. He simple rode it into the wall.
It wasnt just one or two errors that caused this incident. Short of a mechanical failure which doesnt explain poor pass, poor line, poor braking decisions, braking and thinking the car will turn... all leads to same conclusion.
Simply blew the braking point and the down shift, upset the car and he had no abilities that kicked in to allow him to save it. He simple rode it into the wall.
#79
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Shrug. I dunno. He is on pavement the entire time. Motor is at idle. He has a lot of speed and eventually has the wheel cranked.
Riddle me this: If he has the brakes locked up, how come it doesn't look like the car is slowing down much? Is that all pavement out there or a gravel trap? I've never been to WGI.
Maybe it is just the perspective of the video. Another way to look at it: if this isn't brake failure, what would brake failure at this point look like?
-Mike
Riddle me this: If he has the brakes locked up, how come it doesn't look like the car is slowing down much? Is that all pavement out there or a gravel trap? I've never been to WGI.
Maybe it is just the perspective of the video. Another way to look at it: if this isn't brake failure, what would brake failure at this point look like?
-Mike
#80
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Sorry coach, he had time to make adjustments and try to save it. While on the track and still conscious you always fight to save it until the very end! He didnt. Only when on the marbles was all lost.
Had he released brake and attempted to drive the car through the corner with skills he might have made it. Worse thing is he would have scrub off more speed and spun and may have kept it off they wall. Best case is he makes the turn.
But hey, I appreciate your opinion.
Had he released brake and attempted to drive the car through the corner with skills he might have made it. Worse thing is he would have scrub off more speed and spun and may have kept it off they wall. Best case is he makes the turn.
But hey, I appreciate your opinion.
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I watched the video again.
My guess is that the driver had some red mist after the pass, didn't fully remember the specifics of what the next corner entailed, focused on getting a downshift done, then freaked out when he finally realized he was way too hot to make the corner and resorted to locking up the brakes while also trying to turn.
I'm somewhat doubtful that he could have made a decent recovery at the point - not enough room to work with at that speed once he realized the error. Maybe they would have stood a chance if the instructor got him on the brakes around 250+.
My guess is that the driver had some red mist after the pass, didn't fully remember the specifics of what the next corner entailed, focused on getting a downshift done, then freaked out when he finally realized he was way too hot to make the corner and resorted to locking up the brakes while also trying to turn.
I'm somewhat doubtful that he could have made a decent recovery at the point - not enough room to work with at that speed once he realized the error. Maybe they would have stood a chance if the instructor got him on the brakes around 250+.
#82
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Maybe one, or both, front brakes failed and that got the car off balance.
Personally, I would have gone straight until it was under control. The car behind would have seen what was going on and would have had time and space to react.
Watkins Glen DEs are almost all multi-day events and I've seen more than one driver run out of pad before the end. Because of this, I started checking my student's front pad thickness before I get in for every session there. People share cars and you don't know what kind of compound is being used.
Personally, I would have gone straight until it was under control. The car behind would have seen what was going on and would have had time and space to react.
Watkins Glen DEs are almost all multi-day events and I've seen more than one driver run out of pad before the end. Because of this, I started checking my student's front pad thickness before I get in for every session there. People share cars and you don't know what kind of compound is being used.
#85
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Originally Posted by Dr.Bill
Back to the original observation - putting your feet on the dash seems like a good way to get a posterior hip dislocation +/- an acetabular fracture. Not sure where they teach that maneuver!
#86
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Hug yourself and tuck your feet in.....I took a breath, held it, and did a blue angel keep blood in brain grunt in my flight......not sure why but it made sense in that 4 minute approach to doom
Easy to say to do....but there really is no practice
So........
Has anyone else wondered if the gravel trap that was replaced would have prevented this?
Been worse since he didn't go off straight?
I like the pavement but in certain situations I can see it not helping
Also speaks to the importance of using auditory and visual instructions
I usually talk and give hand gestures, with a brightly colored glove in their line of sight to grab their attention in any way
Otherwise good discussion, but man alot of you musta only taken level 1 .....doug.....great post
Easy to say to do....but there really is no practice
So........
Has anyone else wondered if the gravel trap that was replaced would have prevented this?
Been worse since he didn't go off straight?
I like the pavement but in certain situations I can see it not helping
Also speaks to the importance of using auditory and visual instructions
I usually talk and give hand gestures, with a brightly colored glove in their line of sight to grab their attention in any way
Otherwise good discussion, but man alot of you musta only taken level 1 .....doug.....great post
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Shrug. I dunno. He is on pavement the entire time. Motor is at idle. He has a lot of speed and eventually has the wheel cranked.
Riddle me this: If he has the brakes locked up, how come it doesn't look like the car is slowing down much? Is that all pavement out there or a gravel trap? I've never been to WGI.
Maybe it is just the perspective of the video. Another way to look at it: if this isn't brake failure, what would brake failure at this point look like?
-Mike
Riddle me this: If he has the brakes locked up, how come it doesn't look like the car is slowing down much? Is that all pavement out there or a gravel trap? I've never been to WGI.
Maybe it is just the perspective of the video. Another way to look at it: if this isn't brake failure, what would brake failure at this point look like?
-Mike
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#88
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The video almost makes it appear he lost his brakes, but more likely ...
1. Took a late pass
2. Got a little lost and missed the brake zone markers because they were obscured by the car he'd just passed.
3. Said "oh sh*t, I need to brake!" and locked them up. At that point he wasn't slowing effectively and couldn't steer either. The rest is apparent.
The 200 marker at that turn is probably a bit late for that car to be braking (especially for a novice), but it's not ridiculously late. Unless he really had reduced braking effectiveness for some reason, this should have been saveable. Unfortunate way to learn such a lesson. I hope the driver and instructor are both OK.
Perhaps on a related point, I drove an E30 BMW for the first time this past weekend at an AER race. Fun car to drive on track, but one thing that stood out is how sensitive the car was to inside front wheel lockup under trail-braking, followed by neither stopping nor turning! Not sure that had anything to do with the incident since he seems to have locked up while straight, but it may have been a contributing factor.
Scott
1. Took a late pass
2. Got a little lost and missed the brake zone markers because they were obscured by the car he'd just passed.
3. Said "oh sh*t, I need to brake!" and locked them up. At that point he wasn't slowing effectively and couldn't steer either. The rest is apparent.
The 200 marker at that turn is probably a bit late for that car to be braking (especially for a novice), but it's not ridiculously late. Unless he really had reduced braking effectiveness for some reason, this should have been saveable. Unfortunate way to learn such a lesson. I hope the driver and instructor are both OK.
Perhaps on a related point, I drove an E30 BMW for the first time this past weekend at an AER race. Fun car to drive on track, but one thing that stood out is how sensitive the car was to inside front wheel lockup under trail-braking, followed by neither stopping nor turning! Not sure that had anything to do with the incident since he seems to have locked up while straight, but it may have been a contributing factor.
Scott
#89
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I've watched this many times and just can't make sense of it. Every crash is divided into two aspects:
(1) What started it
(2) What to do when things go awry.
So debate about the driver only addresses issue #1 all you want.
I am loath to criticize when I do not know all circumstances. I just can't quite believe the instructor just bracing himself with his feet and going for a ride.
I for one, regardless of the rules have absolutely no interest in just riding a car into the wall. Why didn't he intervene? Who cares about protocol? Does everyone really think that there was nothing to be done?
It would be my *** taking a nose dive into a wall and I am not going to just sit there (or squat I guess). Someone opined that the driver may have panicked. But there is a reason an instructor is in there.
An awful lot of belts flying around in there and those seats look like some kind of track oriented seat. Was the car a Frankenstein?
If that car had only a 3 point, I would hate to think what his back felt like after impact. I assume he didn't think there were air bags or else his ***** would have taken a pounding.
Rules:
The rules as I understand them at least with PCA is equal restraints in the car, but not equal inadequate restraints.
(1) What started it
(2) What to do when things go awry.
So debate about the driver only addresses issue #1 all you want.
I am loath to criticize when I do not know all circumstances. I just can't quite believe the instructor just bracing himself with his feet and going for a ride.
I for one, regardless of the rules have absolutely no interest in just riding a car into the wall. Why didn't he intervene? Who cares about protocol? Does everyone really think that there was nothing to be done?
It would be my *** taking a nose dive into a wall and I am not going to just sit there (or squat I guess). Someone opined that the driver may have panicked. But there is a reason an instructor is in there.
An awful lot of belts flying around in there and those seats look like some kind of track oriented seat. Was the car a Frankenstein?
If that car had only a 3 point, I would hate to think what his back felt like after impact. I assume he didn't think there were air bags or else his ***** would have taken a pounding.
Rules:
- 3 point harness is designed to work in concert with air bags.
- The alternative is a nice robust roll bar, decent seat and proper belts. Me wearing a HANS
- No airbags with 3 point and no roll bar and safety harness? No Dan in the car. And I might question the sanity of the car owner.
The rules as I understand them at least with PCA is equal restraints in the car, but not equal inadequate restraints.
Last edited by dan212; 05-24-2017 at 12:17 PM.