Crash at Lights Motors Action today

D

dadddio

Well-Known Member
donsullivan said:
Based on the pictures, it seems reasonable to assume that the show will be down for at least a few days (if not longer) while they investigate the cause of the accident. They'll want to be sure they understand why it happened and what (if any) changes need to be made either to show equipment or performance procedures to prevent it from happening again.
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I bet that it's up and running tomorrow like nothing ever happened. Further, I bet that the investigation of the accident took all of fifteen minutes. After all, we know how the accident happened from the video. The car came out of the building way too fast, lauching out of the building, instead of going down the ramp. The only thing that is left to verify is whether there was a throttle problem with the vehicle.

Further, I think that our perception of this accident is worse than the reality of it because we think of the car as a regular car with roll cage bolted in instead of a purpose-built stunt vehicle that is basically a safety cage with body panels attached. The accident ripped these body panels off the car. It doesn't really seem to have done much to the structure of the vehicle, however.
 
ChrisFL

ChrisFL

Premium Member
While I love fast cars, rally racing, stunts, etc. I agree that this show is a bit too dangerous.

While ALL Stunt shows are dangerous, having cars, motorcycles, jet-skis involved adds thousands of potential complications for each vehicle.

This is probably the 5th or 6th accident I've personally heard of, there's probably been many more.
 
donsullivan

donsullivan

Premium Member
dadddio said:
I bet that it's up and running tomorrow like nothing ever happened. Further, I bet that the investigation of the accident took all of fifteen minutes. After all, we know how the accident happened from the video. The car came out of the building way too fast, lauching out of the building, instead of going down the ramp. The only thing that is left to verify is whether there was a throttle problem with the vehicle.

Further, I think that our perception of this accident is worse than the reality of it because we think of the car as a regular car with roll cage bolted in instead of a purpose-built stunt vehicle that is basically a safety cage with body panels attached. The accident ripped these body panels off the car. It doesn't really seem to have done much to the structure of the vehicle, however.
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This isn't just about the degree of damage to the car, it's also the risk to the performer. Legally, Disney now knows they have a safety risk condition here and have a responsibility to ensure they thoroughly understand it and (if necessary) take all appropriate actions to ensure the safety of the performers. If they do not, and anything similar happens at any time in the future, they have a significantly higher liability issue because they knew about that risk but took no action.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad there were no injuries but this is not the sort of thing that you brush off and get back rolling again. You have to make sure you identify and resolve any risk item that might compromise safety.
 
FigmentJedi

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
Bairstow said:
Yeah, I wouldn't miss Lights Motors Action at all.
The show is impressive to see, once.
It lacks any of the charm or humor that had made the Indiana Jones show a lasting draw, though at this point I'm kind of sick of both of them.
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Indeed. There's no lasting appeal in watching cars drive round and round and round. Well, unless if you're easily amused like a NASCAR fan or something.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
dadddio said:
I bet that it's up and running tomorrow like nothing ever happened. Further, I bet that the investigation of the accident took all of fifteen minutes. After all, we know how the accident happened from the video. The car came out of the building way too fast, lauching out of the building, instead of going down the ramp. The only thing that is left to verify is whether there was a throttle problem with the vehicle.

Further, I think that our perception of this accident is worse than the reality of it because we think of the car as a regular car with roll cage bolted in instead of a purpose-built stunt vehicle that is basically a safety cage with body panels attached. The accident ripped these body panels off the car. It doesn't really seem to have done much to the structure of the vehicle, however.
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Where was the video posted?
 
R

Ralphlaw

Well-Known Member
Whether it's Indiana Jones or Lights Motor Action, thought has to be given to the replacement before scrapping it. Much has been invested in this show, so I don't see it going away anytime soon. We see it about every other visit because the kids mature. My son is 15 and will be driving soon. He'll want to see it again, I'm sure, now that cars and driving will soon become part of his life.

As for me, it's okay, especially if I just want to have an extended sit-down somewhere. I do, however, regret that I didn't see the original during our recent visit to Disneyland Paris.
 
HRHPrincessAriel

HRHPrincessAriel

Well-Known Member
sweetpee_1993 said:
In January '09 we saw the hero car land off the final jump wrong. It bounced violently front first then back. It lost control as it entered the tunnel under the stands. We'd seen the show several times before so we knew how the sequence should go, how the car performs, and how the show concludes. As soon as it happened safety people ran out to look in the tunnel & you could see their reactions. The show ended abruptly. Little to no calls for applause, etc. The crash happened then it was "Have a good day, folks!" We saw an ambulance pull up behind the stadium. They came running with the stretcher. They routed all the guests exiting out across the "stage" then thru gates behind the village sets. When we got to the ground level by the tunnel I turned and looked past the CMs trying to keep people from seeing. There were red striations on the tunnel wall and the car was resting partially upside down against the wall further in. You could see the rear of the car towards the back. All the other shows for the day were cancelled but they were up & running the next day. There was no news or any official reports. Only me. Lots of official-looking people with clip boards, etc. all in the area in the hours that passed. Again, I'd been in MGM/DHS enough to know something unusual had happened because I saw little things going on that were different. I did hear later that the driver was okay which was good to know.

I came here....I wasn't a big poster then....and reported it as soon as I could after it happened. Aaaaaand, got called a liar & told I made it up to get attention. Buncha DBs, I swear. Whatever. Do ya want news or not? Right? Since then I post in this section with my fisticuffs at the ready. It's a tough room but, hey, I'm a tough girl. ;)

Anywhooooo, accidents happen at that show and, NO, it's not going to make headline news. Glad to hear nobody was hurt with the latest mishap. Also glad there's good photos & evidence so others don't have to be accused of attention-seeking. ;)

**edit**
Here's a link to the 2009 thread.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/lights-motors-action-accident-yesterday.400134/page-2

There's a photo in post #39 of the hero car landing nose-down. The front of the car hit, bounced up, then the back hit, and bounced. The car veered to the side as it entered the tunnel. I love the term "routine hit" by a couple of the posters in that thread. Um, what exactly is a routine hit? Is it routine when a car is not upright? :rolleyes:
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What's the Monster's Inc coaster people keep talking about? ;-)
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Tahu said:
Indeed. There's no lasting appeal in watching cars drive round and round and round. Well, unless if you're easily amused like a NASCAR fan or something.
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I actually am a bit of an auto racing fan, but I don't get much enjoyment watching the Lights Motors Action cars. They're all purpose-built, ultralight stunt vehicles with bike engines and they look and sound like purpose-built stunt vehicles with bike engines. That's not to belittle the skill of the drivers or the difficulty of putting on the show, but it doesn't really capture any of the excitement of watching actual motorspots.
 
D

dadddio

Well-Known Member
donsullivan said:
This isn't just about the degree of damage to the car, it's also the risk to the performer. Legally, Disney now knows they have a safety risk condition here and have a responsibility to ensure they thoroughly understand it and (if necessary) take all appropriate actions to ensure the safety of the performers. If they do not, and anything similar happens at any time in the future, they have a significantly higher liability issue because they knew about that risk but took no action.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad there were no injuries but this is not the sort of thing that you brush off and get back rolling again. You have to make sure you identify and resolve any risk item that might compromise safety.
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What makes you think that they haven't already done all that? All signs point to the fact that they have.
 
ScoutN

ScoutN

OV 104
Premium Member
Fiberglass body cracked. No big deal. New wheels, suspension, some tuning on that, inspect frame integrity, new body panels (which I would be willing to bet they have backstage), and that car will be right back out. Things like this are expected to happen in such a show.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Scoutn757 said:
Fiberglass body cracked. No big deal. New wheels, suspension, some tuning on that, inspect frame integrity, new body panels (which I would be willing to bet they have backstage), and that car will be right back out. Things like this are expected to happen in such a show.
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And I would assume they have spare cars.
 

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