KEY POINTS:
At the Hamilton 400 last weekend there were a number of huge accidents where 1.3 tonnes of metal hit 4 tonnes of concrete at speed. Chief among them was Jamie Whincup's massive hit on the wall during Friday's practice that destroyed his car. Whincup was fine.
As bits and pieces of the cars flew off in all directions it's important to understand that, on nearly every occasion, the driver will walk away.
Sure there are exceptions to the rule and it's always a tragedy when someone dies, especially when every safety measure has been taken.
Motor racing is a sport that looks dangerous but in reality is very safe. For the number of competitions taking place at any one time anywhere in the world, the number of deaths is very, very low.
Unfortunately, in recent times there have been two tragic accidents close to home. The death of Kiwi racer Mark Porter at Bathurst in 2006 rocked the racing community when he crashed during the second-tier Fujitsu race.
And this year, Ashley Cooper, 27, from Ulladulla in New South Wales, died from injuries he suffered when his car crashed during the second-tier Fujitsu series at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
Having said that, there hasn't been a death in the main game, the V8 Supercars, but there have been some spectacular incidents. Most recently, Paul Radisich's huge hit into the barrier down the front straight at Bathurst.
These V8 cars, as with all race cars, are built to the highest specification imaginable to reduce any harm being done to the drivers.
Chief among these are the roll cages that provide an essential protection element, enhancing the structure of the car's body shell.
This can range from basic roll hoops (half-cages) to full cages extending to the forward and rear suspension mounting points. Not only do they provide safety for a race car, they can also increase chassis rigidity. Increased rigidity reduces flex and movement of the shell while allowing the driver to achieve improved grip and steering response as well as more predictability in the car. More exotic materials can increase overall stiffness and reduce body weight.
Seats and harnesses play an integral part in keeping the driver firmly secured, reducing the chance of him being flung around inside the car like a rag doll. And in the event of an impact, the driver will remain intact and in place. Side head restraints, harness belt holes and padding vary from seat to seat.
Protection to the head is the most important aspect of any sport but is doubly so in racing. Helmets must meet the correct safety standard approval to comply with track regulations. The HANS (head and neck safety) device restricts the movement of the head in the event of a significant crash, therefore significantly reducing head injury.
Regulations for the applicable event will dictate the required level of protection/fire resistance. This can be single-layer cotton overalls; single-, double- or triple-layer Nomex suits; flame-resistant underwear; balaclavas; gloves and boots.
Due to the more extreme forces and demands placed on a car during racing, competition vehicles require extra preparation. To ensure the car is safe to race, attention is paid to brakes, suspension, engine, diffs, fuel cells, chassis and more.
Getting the car's geometry right is the key to finding the right car balance so the vehicle performs properly and is safe to drive.
For a sport that looks incredibly dangerous, it is one of the safest. Drivers have a much greater chance of serious injury or death driving from Hamilton to Auckland than competitors in a Le Mans 24 Hour.
