Death at Driving Experience

[GhostHost1000]

They're safe enough to pass basic crash tests before being sold in the United States.

yeah that's what I figured - probably no extra framing/rollbars, etc.

imagine if nascar racecars were just safe enough to pass basic crash tests
basic crash tests aren't done at speeds on a racetrack with a metal guardrail facing the opposite direction

really stupid on Disney's part IMO to not see all the potential here
- opposite direction on track with guardrails like an arrow pointing at you when you spin that direction
- cars not safe enough for something like this (amateurs driving around a racetrack at racetrack-like speeds)

 

[FettFan]

yeah that's what I figured - probably no extra framing/rollbars, etc.

imagine if nascar racecars were just safe enough to pass basic crash tests

NASCAR stock cars are designed to be traveling at nearly 200 miles per hour in groups of 75 or more on an extremely narrow track where collisions between cars are known to happen and can be far more devastating than a wreck in a street legal car.

Comparing the safety features of a NASCAR ride and a Lamborghini is like comparing apples to oranges.

 

[GrumpyFan]

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting now that the Exotic Driving Experience will be closed until May 1.

I'm sure some of this is for the investigation, but I wonder if they'll spend the time/money to change the railing and/or make some changes to make it safer for this.

 

[FettFan]

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting now that the Exotic Driving Experience will be closed until May 1.

I'm sure some of this is for the investigation, but I wonder if they'll spend the time/money to change the railing and/or make some changes to make it safer for this.

They might not reopen the Exotic experience at all, given that Disney's track page has been completely removed from EDE's website.
http://www.exoticdriving.com/race-track/

No way they'd make changes to the guard rails, considering that the Speedway was already slated for closure in June and demolition following thereafter.

 

[GrumpyFan]

They might not reopen the Exotic experience at all, given that Disney's track page has been completely removed from EDE's website.
http://www.exoticdriving.com/race-track/

No way they'd make changes to the guard rails, considering that the Speedway was already slated for closure in June and demolition following thereafter.

That would seem to be the smart thing to do. I really can't see them spending a bunch of time and money in making improvements, when they're about to bulldoze it in less than 5 months.

 

[flynnibus]

Are you a professional driver and/or do you regularly drive these types of vehicles? You make it sound like it is easy to go out of control in track conditions just by tapping the gas or turning the wheel a little too much.

No, I don't get to drive Lambos - but I do drive other MUCH TAMER cars on the track and street.. and yes, it is 'easy to go out of control in track conditions just by tapping the gas or turning the wheel a little too much' - when you are on the edge or out of position.

Any person who punches it too early in a turn, or turns in too hard carrying too much speed quickly learn what oversteer means and it's consequences. This isn't "mash and go". Your claims of driven exotics, 400+HP RWD cars, and driving aggressively, and never experienced losing control (or approaching it) just don't add up.

Your NASCAR drives are a completely different kind of beast and handling challenge.

 

[Victor Kelly]

A horrible thing to happen. Loss of life is never a thing to take lightly. But as FHP said, there was no way to survive that on the passenger side. The wrong way issue is disturbing.

 

[PhotoDave219]

The Exotic Driving Experience will remain closed until May 1, per Petty Enterprises.

 

[unkadug]

Track design is not part of OSHA standards - and OSHA doesn't do inspections typically unless there are complaints. There is some overlap here because you have employees in a work situation being asked to drive and so you have general safety concerns... but OSHA isn't in the game of specifying racing standards.

When they are driving in the opposite direction of how the track was designed, it is clearly a safety hazard for the employees as well as the guests.

 

[Nubs70]

When they are driving in the opposite direction of how the track was designed, it is clearly a safety hazard for the employees as well as the guests.

Thus a degree of negligence. The degree could be more or less. I wonder if any insurance entity had pointed out issues. If issues were pointed out, the severity of negligence will increase.

 

[mousehockey37]

The speed in the crash is a relative concept. As some are posting that these cars are "tame" for their purpose, you have to remember that this kid was 24 years old, just turned 24, it was his birthday actually. People posting that they've done this numerous times, in different locations, have these cars, etc, that's great, but there was a time where you were learning to drive it as well. Just because he was going 100 doesn't mean that wasn't beyond him. Perhaps he's never hit 100 in any car before, well, it's gonna feel different. The faster you go, the less time you have to react. The less experience you have at a faster speed, that reaction time is even less. So whether he was going 100 or 150 or 200, if it was his first time doing it and he's not fully aware of what the car is going to do, and it breaks loose, it's over in a flash.

As for the instructor, try as he might to be trying to save the car and prevent the wreck, as I just mentioned, the higher the speed, the less time you have to react and eventually, you're just along for the ride. Even if there's a kill switch, it's not going to stop the forward momentum of the car. Pulling the E break isn't going to stop the car on a dime.

As others have said, you have to respect the car and the speed.

I've seen in some go-kart parks while on vacation, they had one track for the adults, only with real cars, not go karts. They were basically full sized "indy" cars and yes, I saw some people totally "hot shot" it and yeah, they wrecked, bad. Why? They didn't know the car, how it would react or what it was going to do.

 

[PhotoDave219]

When they are driving in the opposite direction of how the track was designed, it is clearly a safety hazard for the employees as well as the guests.

Thus a degree of negligence. The degree could be more or less. I wonder if any insurance entity had pointed out issues. If issues were pointed out, the severity of negligence will increase.

Well, its closed until at least May 1. I have trouble seeing it reopening, with the scheduled demolition later this year.

 

[Voxel]

yeah that's what I figured - probably no extra framing/rollbars, etc.

imagine if nascar racecars were just safe enough to pass basic crash tests
basic crash tests aren't done at speeds on a racetrack with a metal guardrail facing the opposite direction

really stupid on Disney's part IMO to not see all the potential here
- opposite direction on track with guardrails like an arrow pointing at you when you spin that direction
- cars not safe enough for something like this (amateurs driving around a racetrack at racetrack-like speeds)

Actually this type of accident would almost have a similar result in a Stock car, Here is a very similar accident of a stock car sliding into a guard rail at a slightly slower speed. No car is "safe" in type of wreck, heck US crash Agency just start testing quarter front collision two years ago with most cars failing.
Footage start around a minute ten, if he was a foot or two back that guardrail would have gone through the driver compartment.

 

[Voxel]

The biggest issue was that the guard rail should have never been exposed, there should have been a Fitch Barrier there to slow the car enough to prevent this type of death..

 

[mousehockey37]

The biggest issue was that the guard rail should have never been exposed, there should have been a Fitch Barrier there to slow the car enough to prevent this type of death..

Or at least a tire wall... Either way, it's inexcusable that the gap in the wall itself (again, it's where the safety vehicles would sit during an actual race) wasn't closed off entirely into 1 long wall after the track was going to no longer be used for actual sanctioned racing events.

 

[mousehockey37]

Actually this type of accident would almost have a similar result in a Stock car, Here is a very similar accident of a stock car sliding into a guard rail at a slightly slower speed. No car is "safe" in type of wreck, heck US crash Agency just start testing quarter front collision two years ago with most cars failing.
Footage start around a minute ten, if he was a foot or two back that guardrail would have gone through the driver compartment.

This proves a point I am also promoting. At some point, regardless of the speed, you're just along for the ride. Just because the brakes are locked up, doesn't mean you're going to stop.

 

[Voxel]

This proves a point I am also promoting. At some point, regardless of the speed, you're just along for the ride. Just because the brakes are locked up, doesn't mean you're going to stop.

Just doing my job as the friendly neighborhood Spiderman

 

[ScoutN]

Also, the CM has a throttle control devise that kills the throttle if there is a problem. Wonder what happened there?

You don't cut power in a slide or spin. You need power to attempt correction. I would have to see the video to determine if cutting it would have helped or made it worse (spear heading head on) but I have absolutely no desire to see it.

 

[mousehockey37]

Just doing my job as the friendly neighborhood Spiderman

The video also shows what happens when you hit grass too. It doesn't slow you down unless the car digs in, if the car digs in, you're going for a much bigger ride.

Everyone knows that when you apply the brakes on your car, you don't stop immediately, even the E brake. So take your highway speed of 55 mph and have the guy in front of you come up short and you have to hit the brakes and how long it takes your car to stop... Bump that up to 100+mph in something that you've just gotten behind the wheel in, and yeah, you're not going to know if it breaks loose what to do.

 

[mousehockey37]

You don't cut power in a slide or spin. You need power to attempt correction. I would have to see the video to determine if cutting it would have helped or made it worse (spear heading head on) but I have absolutely no desire to see it.

I doubt FHP is going to release it. If it's like the videos I've seen and posted, the telemetry and every camera angle is on it...