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You have to have goggles on to start a race which shows that the rule makers see it as a mandatory piece of safety gear. However, you can immediately throw your goggles away and race the rest of the race without them? That is contradictory.
Changing the rule would leave 95% of professional motocross racing alone because how often does a rider toss his goggles if it isn't a mudder? It almost never happens. I remember hearing somebody on Pulp MX (don't remember who or if it was just a caller) but somebody brought up something similar to this topic and this person's response was something along the lines of "Well in a mudder it is just mud that is getting roosted - just dirt and water." I thought to myself, holy crap I hope this guy realizes what he just said and I wondered if it was this level of genius that was ultimately controlling things.
Do you guys really think somebody is going to be out there riding around with absolutely no vision blindly crashing into people because he doesn't want to take 15 seconds to stop and get fresh goggles? C'mon guys, that is classic fear mongering! If goggles weren't mandatory at the start of a race then the same thing could be said about people wanting to change the rule but they are mandatory which proves the necessity as a piece of safety equipment.
Your comment it's the responsible thing to do made me think of this
I'm all for safety, but this seems silly and over the top. I think energy and more rules could be better spent on safety issues that are far greater then muddy goggles. I doubt you will be too worried about proper mandated eye-wear when you hit a Kawasaki mule parked on the side of the track.
But hey, lets do this for the children. Won't someone think of the poor children!
I never said that this should take top priority. I agree that there are more important things that should be taking all of the attention and energy right now but I don't think that is happening either. I don't want to turn this into a neck brace thread that always turns in a long argument with people chiming in on both sides but I think that is a perfect example. An independent, third party professional source should be hired to evaluate the different neck brace designs compared to no brace. I think paralysis and death is more important.
Why is making a rider have to wear goggles for the entire race offensive? I still just don't understand that.
It doesn't make sense to have a rule for something that isn't happening to begin with. No one has been hurt throwing their goggles in a mud race. So why do we need a rule to make sure they keep their goggles on?
I understand your point. An eye injury would suck and yes you are taking some risk in that when you throw your goggles in a mud race. At the same time, these are professionals and I think they should be allowed to make this decision. Frankly, its more strategy then anything. Take goggles or don't take goggles? Ride without goggles and have to ride more cautions or get a new pair and get back on the throttle. Get new goggles at start of race or towards end of race?
If you make it to the professional level then at some point in time you have raced a mud race and tossed your goggles. RC, Stewart, Reed, Tomac, Ward, Johnson, etc, all have tossed their goggles at some point in their climb to the top of the sport. I don't think they are all stupid. I don't recall an eye injury either.
You've made a fair point that there haven't been any of these injuries because of a rider taking his goggles off in recent memory so how important is this? I agree there are a lot of things that should take priority over this but I still just find the rule contradictory that it is mandatory you start a race with goggles but not mandatory that you end a race with them.
It doesn't matter if it's racing. They're being paid to do this. If a company says that once a guy breaks his safety glasses he cannot get a new pair until his break because it would hurt production, they would see 6 digits in fines real quick.
Innovate goggles, make a safer, quicker pit area I don't know but do something. I'm surprised no one has lost an eyeball yet.
1) Racers' gloves would be muddy and possibly nylon bag muddy. How are you supposed to put on fresh goggles in this environment?
2) Just slow down and pull off for two seconds? Pull off where? I have a suggestion: Pull off in the Mechanics Area and be handed fresh gloves and goggles then re enter the race. Stopping on the track brings a host of other potential safety issues into the equation and all of them unnecessary given there is a spot specific for pulling off the track.
Pit Row
If we can't make something as basic and common sense as upper body protection you are operating in a fantasy environment thinking an independent 3rd party professional source will EVER be hired to evaluate neck brace designs. And for the record I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing either given all of the contradictory information out there on neck braces.
Also you are not fear mongering. A wise man once said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Post a reply to: Eye Safety/Tossing Goggles