Race Safety - Was "How young is too young?"

ibrokeit · Mar 30, 2015

Let me start by saying that I do not have any children so this isn't DIRECTLY applicable to me.

It seems like the new thing is for the owners of bouncers to let their kids race their buggies. I think it is great that these kids are getting out in the woods rather than sitting at home behind a computer (like I am right now). But strapping someone who doesn't even have a drivers license into a 800 horsepower hill killing rocket, and on top of that, having them RACE just screams "bad idea" to me. I do not mean to call names, I really don't, but my point behind this comes from this weekends Grayrock SRRS race. Sidney Rockwell made an impressive run on Bents and Dents. Then made an impressive run up the obstacle on Cable Hill. How much of the cable hill run was throttle vs. talent, I do not know and am not judging. What I did see, however, is after making it up the ledge, the buggy got away from her. Had she not rolled when she did, it is my opinion that some people (spectators) could/would have gotten seriously hurt.

I guess the point of this thread is to bring some discussion to the situation. What makes the final decision (in the race series, SRRS, ARC, etc) as to what is "too young"? Are you (race promotor OR spectator) ok with strapping ANYBODY into one of these buggies and saying "HAVE FUN, LET ER RIP!"? I could be completely wrong in my observation.

And please, keep this a logical discussion. I'm not trying to bash on anybody. Let the record show that I am EXTREMELY jealous of these kids and wish that I was in their shoes at that age.

Exhibit A-

15YR OLD GIRL BOUNCES CABLE HILL LIKE A BOSS!

LandSpeeder · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

Why let a state highway law dictate an offroad event? I'm not a boater, but highway laws do not dictate water vessel laws do they?

What state law should SRRS abide by?

BustedKnucklefilms · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

The Crowd should have stayed behind the blue tape and they would have been safe. Case Closed.

ibrokeit · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

LandSpeeder said:
Why let a state highway law dictate an offroad event? I'm not a boater, but highway laws do not dictate water vessel laws do they?

What state law should SRRS abide by?

Im not saying it should, or they should.

ibrokeit · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

BustedKnucklefilms said:
The Crowd should have stayed behind the blue tape and they would have been safe. Case Closed.

Someone has already texted me and told me that those people were outside the blue tape. I couldn't see that far, but if that is correct, it would have been 100% their fault because they are idiots.

MIKEB618 · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

There are a lot of people that have a valid drivers license that drive like total ****! Skill has little to do with age...

ibrokeit · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

Ok. Lets scratch the drivers license comment, as I didn't really mean it the way folks seem to be taking it.

LandSpeeder · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

ibrokeit said:
Im not saying it should, or they should.

You're just saying you're jealous.

ibrokeit · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

LandSpeeder said:
You're just saying you're jealous.

Absolutely. 100%. Even put that in the original post. But that isn't the reasoning behind the post.

LandSpeeder · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

ibrokeit said:
Absolutely. 100%. Even put that in the original post.

So, there's your answer. Because no other answer will suffice.

1tfrot · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

here's my take on it.....

my daughter has been driving my rig since she was 10yo. she's now 16 and drives quite well on and off road. would I put her in my buggy and tell her to win a race to the top of a large hill/mtn...... no. while she has a decent amount of offroad experience, I personally think she's not ready to bomb a hill at WOT, especially in something that can haul ass.

sometimes bad things happen, but the more experienced driver can help prevent those many of the times

LandSpeeder · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

How many buggies have we seen get away from the driver at the top of Cable? I can instantly count half a dozen and can probably find the videos of almost everyone of them. It happens a LOT on that hill because of the Wide Open Throttle.
That's not an age issue.

xjcrawler · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

Jake Burkey's ride looks like it got away from him, surely he didn't plan that U-turn.

June dog · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

It's just the next generation. As far as age I would say " teenager". :dunno:

sexxy · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

My son who is currently 10yrs old gets to drive the tjunk and rhino but only under close supervision. The only way he drive the tjunk or any other offroad vehicle (non atv/utv) is with me sitting pressing the pedals or next to him. Been doing that since 8yrs old. We did have a mini buggy that would run 30-35mph that I let him ride with less supervision but it really took something to turn it over and he only way he could ride was strapped in. No strap no ride, even ran a few drag races with him and did well for a 8yr olds 1st time.

TacomaJD · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

Dad used to let me drive his drag car all the time when I was a kid. First time I drove it, I was 13 years old..... ran 6.60's in an 1/8. Footbrake Camaro on 10.5" slicks, 496ci supercharged BBC, 7-800hp. :flipoff1:

And it's only a matter of time before some of those idiots gets ran over and killed.

ridefast · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

As long as the parent(s) honestly can vouch for them before they get in the the rig AND take 110% responsibility once they are in the rig, let 'em rip!

kmcminn · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

TacomaJD said:
Dad used to let me drive his drag car all the time when I was a kid. First time I drove it, I was 13 years old..... ran 6.60's in an 1/8. Footbrake Camaro on 10.5" slicks, 496ci supercharged BBC, 7-800hp.

And it's only a matter of time before some of those idiots gets ran over and killed.

I like it better you not here all the time.

TacomaJD · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

kmcminn said:
I like it better you not here all the time.

I'm sure you'll really miss me on the trails...one less rig to show that Jeep how to climb ****.... :flipoff1:

patooyee · Mar 30, 2015

Re: How young is too young?

ridefast said:
As long as the parent(s) honestly can vouch for them before they get in the the rig AND take 110% responsibility once they are in the rig, let 'em rip!

No.

First, I am 100% certain that rig "got away" with her. Look at her, look at the throttle, look at the steering. She was just a passenger inside a pinball.

Second, when someone gets killed and sues SRRS, goes to court and says, "SRRS allowed a 15 year old girl without a license behind the wheel of a high performance 800hp racing machine on a dangerous course," you really think, "Yeah, but the people were in front of some blue tape" is going to hold up??? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Repeat:

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We just had a case here locally a year or so ago where a drunk dude was jay-walking, got hit and killed by a car. He was wrong to even be in the street but the driver of the car is still in prison now. Humans get the right-of way no matter what. Someone with a driver license should know that.