CHARLES SCHULTZ <n2pua4@peoplepc.com> wrote:
>
>I assumed you were only using that as an example, but I
>decided to use it as an excuse to go on a rant about one
>of my favorite subjects - weather safety.
[snip]
>SCCA events should shut down for nearby lightning, too,
>although there's certainly no reason to stop for rain or snow.
I've been meaning to write something about this for The
Safety Belt or some other publication for a few years
now, but never had the time.
Back in 1999, I was visiting a Glen Region (???) event
way the heck upstate. During the day, a rather strong
thunderstorm cell started to approach the site. The
"just one more dry run" mentality set in among the
competitors, but the safety steward stopped the event
long before the storm was a danger. By doing this, he
gave the courseworkers about 10-15 minutes' time to go
back to the paddock and secure their stuff. I'm sure that
the competitors on grid were complaining, and I made it
a point to find the safety steward who made the call and
applaud the right decision. As luck would have it, the
storm didn't pass over the site, and it made the decision
look bad. I still say that it was the right decision,
and *every* SSS should pull the plug on an event at the
first signs of visible lightning. You have to give the
courseworkers time to secure their paddock spaces and seek
shelter, and waiting until the gust front hits or the
rain starts falling usually means that it's too late
to do either in an orderly fashion. Just my $0.02.....
-Arthur ("Had the street tires on before the rain" edition.)
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