Track safety improvement ideas

Adger Smith · 03-28-2007, 09:07 AM

OK, Bruce Now I understand your first post. I didn't understand where you were going. You know you can & have gone some strange palces... :--)
I agree with improvements in the wall/barrier designs. As a first step they might want to close up the width of the track. That might help in preventing a "run" at the wall. Most of these concrete barriers are designed to keep cars in the lanes or roadways & roll them back into the lane if they climb up the barrier. I don't think they were designed for vehicles as low as F/C & Top Fuelers. After striking a traditional metal guard rail during a crash in '99 I'm not too fond of them. Esp. when they are quite a few feet off the track. That allowed my car to "square off" with the rail & make an almost head on hit instead of an angled impact. As most of you engineers know, that didn't do my body any good when all that energy in the car met an immovable object. I was lucky to survive, but with a "Soft Hit' I might not have sustained all the severe injuries. This might be a step forward where our insurance surcharge & oildown fines could be spent. What's the old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. .

Adger Smith

03-28-2007, 09:07 AM	#6
Adger Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texarkana Ark/TX Posts: 2,446 Likes: 575 Liked 880 Times in 311 Posts	OK, Bruce Now I understand your first post. I didn't understand where you were going. You know you can & have gone some strange palces... :--) I agree with improvements in the wall/barrier designs. As a first step they might want to close up the width of the track. That might help in preventing a "run" at the wall. Most of these concrete barriers are designed to keep cars in the lanes or roadways & roll them back into the lane if they climb up the barrier. I don't think they were designed for vehicles as low as F/C & Top Fuelers. After striking a traditional metal guard rail during a crash in '99 I'm not too fond of them. Esp. when they are quite a few feet off the track. That allowed my car to "square off" with the rail & make an almost head on hit instead of an angled impact. As most of you engineers know, that didn't do my body any good when all that energy in the car met an immovable object. I was lucky to survive, but with a "Soft Hit' I might not have sustained all the severe injuries. This might be a step forward where our insurance surcharge & oildown fines could be spent. What's the old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. . Adger Smith __________________ Adger Smith (Former SS)