Shouldn't Auto Racing Be Banned ?

Yet another tragic death has occured in the sport of auto racing. 33 year old Dan Wheldon, married & father of 2 baby boys, was killed yesterday in a race that critics say was badly set up. Whether the track was too small, or there were too many cars in the race, too tightly packed in together, or whatever else, the fact remains that auto racing, for many years, has taken the lives of many drivers. It really ought to be reviewed by legislators if this is really an acceptable way for people to enage in spectator sports, or is this just too (*)(*)(*)(*) dangerous.

One way of looking at it is to compare auto racing's horrific record of deaths occuring vs. other sports. In auto racing, there were 182 deaths (wikipedia) on just 5 tracks (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Nürburgring, Monza, Daytona International Speedway, and Le Mans). In Major League Baseball, there have been zero deaths over the past 91 years, despite the teams playing 4,860 games per year (not counting the post season playoffs & world series).

Other abominations of recklessness also still exist with deaths occuring almost routinely - one that comes to mind first is airshows, which are probably even worse than auto racing. Some people get offended by the idea of government bans (an anything), but the simple fact is a lot of people just can't be trusted to be sane and safe when it comes to making money, and do need to be protected from themselves and their recklessness.

it's not only the auto race drivers and their fans who need to be considered here, but also the families of the drivers who get killed. Dan Wheldon's 2 little boys will now grow up without their father. That ought to be at least as much a consideration as the wishes of drivers and their fans.

 

Well you have every right to advocate for it if you wish, I disagree and I think most people would.

 

Yet another tragic death has occured in the sport of auto racing. 33 year old Dan Wheldon, married & father of 2 baby boys, was killed yesterday in a race that critics say was badly set up. Whether the track was too small, or there were too many cars in the race, too tightly packed in together, or whatever else, the fact remains that auto racing, for many years, has taken the lives of many drivers. It really ought to be reviewed by legislators if this is really an acceptable way for people to enage in spectator sports, or is this just too (*)(*)(*)(*) dangerous.

One way of looking at it is to compare auto racing's horrific record of deaths occuring vs. other sports. In auto racing, there were 182 deaths (wikipedia) on just 5 tracks (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Nürburgring, Monza, Daytona International Speedway, and Le Mans). In Major League Baseball, there have been zero deaths over the past 91 years, despite the teams playing 4,860 games per year (not counting the post season playoffs & world series).

Other examples of recklessness also still exist with deaths occuring almost routinely - one that comes to mind first is airshows, which are probably even worse than auto racing. Some people get offended by the idea of government bans (on anything), but the simple fact is a lot of people just can't be trusted to be sane and safe when it comes to making money, and do need to be protected from themselves and their recklessness.

It's not only the auto race drivers and their fans who need to be considered here, but also the families of the drivers who get killed. Dan Wheldon's 2 little boys will now grow up without their father. That ought to be at least as much a consideration as the wishes of drivers, their fans, and others making money off this abomination.

 

I'm thinking about Dan Weldon's 3 yr old and 6 month old sons, not "most people" (who haven't suffered any loss).

 

These people know the danger and are willing to take the chance. 3 deaths in a decade is a good safety record.

if you don't like it don't watch it .

 

They can blame their thrill kill dad for being fatherless. You know how many people die in industrial or farm accidents every year?

Your desire to grant yet more power to Big Brother is the most disturbing element of this entire discussion.

 

I am sure he won millions so they should be well cared for.

 

No, it should not be banned.

While any death such as this is tragic and should try to be avoided at all costs, these drivers know the risks every time they hop into their cars. They know that there is a very real possibility that they could crash, for whatever reason, and die. They even know that they could be killed by another driver through no fault of their own.

I don't understand why there are so many people who think the government should play nanny and/or babysitter.

People shouldn't have to wear seat belts if they don't want to. People shouldn't have to wear helmets while riding a motorcycle if they don't want to (or even a bicycle in some states, ffs). Nanny laws are ridiculous. Adults are capable of weighing the risks of their decisions and should be accountable for their own actions (even though our society has somehow devolved into some odd mental state where someone else can always be blamed for everything).

So of course, people needlessly dying is bad, by if it is through a conscious choice of their own, then so be it.

 

It's a terrible tragedy, no doubt. Obviously the sport should not be banned, although the Central Controllers would disagree.

Our neighbor years ago lost her husband in an auto accident. They had a young son. His wife eventually got remarried. Stuff happens.

 

Are you retarded ? Where do you get the idea there were 3 deaths in a decade ? I counted 42 deaths since 2001 on the Wikipedia list, and that's compared with none in Major league baseball, for 91 years. And as I just said, I'm thinking about Dan Wheldon's 2 baby boys.

THEY were not willing to take the chance. GET IT ?

 

Hey shove Big Brother up your dumb ass, OK ? I'm sick and tired of hearing all you Big Brother quoting (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s. YOU and your mindless programming about big brother are what is disturbing.

 

The safety put in place after Earhart died has made it possible for drivers to walk away from huge crashes. I do not follow indy but they have open driver compartments which makes them more vulnerable.

 

42 including small local tracks? I know of three

 

I don't believe it was their decision to make.

 

Since thousands die every year driving at normal non race speeds I guess we should ban driving and you are worse for doing something even more dangerous then auto racing, you drive. More people die needlessly from auto accidents in the family car in a month then have died in the last 20 years of auto racing.

 

What is disturbing is how the left want to justify stopping a sport because some one dies. If that is the case lets make truck driving illegal and ban cars from highways after all thousands die there every year

 

I guess you can't read either, huh ?Was it by a conscious choice of Wheldon's 6 month old son ? And his 3 year old ? See post # 3. And I'm not impressed by your "Nanny law" words. Some people like you NEED to get your ass kicked by the "Nanny" once in while.

 

Obviously the sport should have been banned decades ago.

 

If you read this, you'll know of 39 more (since 2001) :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_racing_drivers_who_died_in_racing_crashes

 

My point exactly.

 

100 people in America died in auto accidents yesterday, should all driving be banned?

 

So then I guess you will not drive a car because if you die on the highway it will hurt your family.

 

Typical liberal view. If you do not like it it should be banned.

 

And many of them die because of speeding, and from the influence of auto racing which cause young drivers to treat their cars as toys rather that just something to get them from place to place (carefully).
Even the car manufacturers have some guilt in the way they manufacture cars, emulating auto racing and give the cars auto racing or flashy names like :
Le Mans, Bonneville, Gran Sport, Wildcat, Corvette, Thunderbird, Mustang, Bronco, Sunfire, Firebird, Ram, Jaguar, Grand Am, Sebring, etc. This adds to the idea of a car as a fast moving toy.