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A shirt of invincibilty is not protection.
Speaking of the FIM I am pretty sure they aren't done yet either with new requirements. The next one that is a possibility is such a "why didn't we do this earlier? that I really hope it sees the light of day.
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However, track issues are another story. It directly affects each rider on the track!
The answer: People need to take personal responsibility for themselves and wear the right gear.
Nobody should wait for a track owner or a government type body like the AMA to "save you". If YOU feel a track is unsafe YOU need to put your skin in the game, get a group of racers together and go to whoever is in charge and negotiate for what you want.
If you sit around and simply say, "I wish someone would do something" you can only blame yourself and are part of the problem.
1. The Mobile Medical Center follows standardized protocols for the evaluation, treatment and transportation of injured athletes. Over the 20+ years that the program has been attending races we have modified slightly some of those protocols based on the unique characteristics of motocross racing. Every effort is made by our staff to provide injured riders the best care possible. We discuss with EMS crews area hospitals and protocols for transportation of various injuries.
2. The hospital that Nelson went to has a top notch spine trauma program. Please keep in mind that these rural areas are often populated by farms which have there own types of trauma that are taken care of by the trauma centers. As with any trauma the most important block of time is the how long it takes to get to the injured person and begin care. It took approx. 45"-60" from the time we got the call on the radio to respond with a DOCTOR, Athletic Trainer and EMS.
3. Something that I feel is very important to understand is that the MAJORITY of DAMAGE done by a crash is at the moment it occurs. Unless there is negligence somewhere along the way to the hospital, once an individual is packaged up the likelihood of making an injury worse is minimal.
I hope this helps clarify some questions people have. Can we make this sport safer without taking away the things that make it so awesome to begin with? Yes, there is always room for improvement.
Setting up a system and organization is the best things tracks can do. I mean if you can not run your normal day to day operations as a set system how are you to handle adverse situations?
Example: Here in WA last year we had a rider die when he hit some equipment that was on the track. This most likely would not had happen if the track had one entrance and one exit so that they could had closed the entrance to the track clearly. Some tracks do this but many do not.
Tracks need to separate riders by speed and skill more often. I have seen Pro riders around the age of 21 riding in the 35+ class here at all local tracks. It simply is not safe!
These are basics and it shocks me when I see rider after rider to complain to the track and the track does nothing about it. If a track took a pro active stance on safety, grooming, and improvements I think their rider base would respond and show up more often and in larger numbers. If tracks would post more on Facebook about changes they are making for safety reasons then I think their riders would feel good to know the track is learning and looking out for the riders. I know I would!
Saturday the track was decent then a monsoon turned it into a complete shit show. That being said I don't mind mud and did pretty well.
Sunday they waited until the last moment to do track maintenance and it worked perfectly. Then throughout the day they did stop races and did track maintenance in some sections which was very much appreciated by people like me in C class. They did the best they could and the track turned out to be pretty good. I heard several people comment on how they appreciated the 5 min of TLC they gave the track every 3 or 4 races.
The only thing that would have made it safer is breaking up practice a little more. They did "all big bikes" which is a shit show when you have some guys that are out there just killing it and others trying not to be killed. Overall it was still fun.
Every time we lose a rider due to stupid stuff (equipment on track, facilities not having ONE entrance and ONE exit, etc) the sport we love gets a little smaller.
Come on people wake up
Are those concrete blocks at the edge of the track holding up metal fencing? Some of those look pretty huge and immovable.
If so, that is super super sketchy.
Makes you appreciate the track safety we have in place for AMA Pro Races.
The bikes are simply too fast. One thing you learn in motocross is anyone can pin it on the straitaways but, the real speed comes from entry and exit speeds. These monstrocities of machine (450) alloy anyone to get that massive speed back without much talent or effort and mistakes are made up in a blink of an eye. Another trend i have seen just over the last several years is the jumps, The faces (trajectory) and the size seem to be more severe and bigger. typically a jump should make you slow down or set up, now they all seem to launch you to infinity. I really like the idea of creating a track that requires you to scrub hard to go fast, that needs you to carry your corners and exits and immediately hit an obstacle that scrubs speed off, long off cambered sweepers have given way to triples ect...
Also the Trees sometimes at circuits, sometimes quite close to track put the fear in me, should any rider be unfortunate enough to hit one.
Any safety improvement however large or small has to be a goodthing that may go someway to stopping injury.
Its the only thing I really hate about MX- (the injuries) but maybe pointless to hate it, when it is often so much part of the sport, or has been, or as we have known it for decades.
Think the Moto GP guys use them? Sort of seems to make sense an air pressure hopefully cushioning the blow/ hit somewhat- however hard or small?
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Most of the pros are not wearing the available protection because it makes them feel uncomfortable, heats them up or restricts their movement. I do understand the neck brace discussion, the "cage" concept we have at the moment restricts the optimal riding position. I've ditched my brace after learning about it and trying both with and without for half a year, but I know many that just say: "Oh, the pros aren't wearing braces anymore. I'll dittch mine because it's not cool" and that`s a problem.
I do believe in chest protectors since they can spread the energy of an impact from on small point to a bigger space. Just think about walking on snow, with normal boots you just sink in. If you now put a tennis racket under your shoe, you don't sink in. Get what I mean?
However, many protectors are bulky, not good looking and badly ventilated. Or too small and with soft plastic. Why did nobody combine a CP with a cooling vest so far? Win-win. I would also give them a little more lining and a rather smooth surface with simple, round holes in them.
Boots are good, helmets are on a good way as well. Taking out all the edges is good to see, as well as different kind of anti rotation systems. Different strength for the EPS. I have to give some props to those companys because for a long time, nothing happened.
Knee braces are getting better as well and I think the concept of the Leatt C Frame braces is very good. But I think that the restriction that knee braces cause in general isn't as noticable as it is in a neck brace.
I don't want to push all the negativity on protection though- more technical tracks (150ft wide open booters with small landings are stupid)= less speed, maybe less injuries. But more action. However this is easier said than done.
Aaand, what nobody mentioned- teach the riders good technique. I might be exagerrating here a little bit, but I think at least 50% of the crashes result from poor technique. Sure, sometimes that's restricted because of safety equipment, but that's what I was trying to express with the part above. We need to find a better way between crashing less without protection but then being injured or crashing often with protection but coming out unharmed often (this is very hypothetical of course since there are thousands of factors for a crash). I also like what Cairoli once said, that he always only rides at 80-90% and very rarely pushes the limit.
I work in an industry that was killing people in the past. Now we hardly ever even injure any one. Before the change I heard all the same arguments you hear on this site.
But I think the problem is why. It won't change because few think there is a need. This whole thread is more about whether it needs or can be safer.
And the reality - some want it to be safer. Some are childish and see the world in black and white - safe motor cross is not motocross any more - as if there is no middle ground. For others ego's and arrogance reject making the sport softer. And heaps just don't think or care about it. In one word culture.
But Money talks. What I find astounding is that organisation's aren't counting the cost of having so many riders out of the sport all the time. Think about how dull the 450 races were this season with so many riders out - that must have cost attendance sand ratings. Even at the top of the sport, they just seem to accept that is how the sport is, and not realise they can change the outcome if they wanted to.
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