Posts
634
Joined
6/9/2017
Location
Temecula, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2019 3:44pm
I work in business insurance and each morning I skim through the daily email newsletter. This time, an article caught my attention.
It was about a father who is suing Club Mx after his son passed away at the track in 2014. I can’t imagine what the father and family must have felt and I send my condolences to them.
What is interesting is that they are fighting to change the way that tracks operate. I wonder if they’ll win and tracks will become more expensive to operate resulting in higher gate fees for participants?
Check out the article here:
http://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/news_detail3.php?list_id=1&email=k…
It was about a father who is suing Club Mx after his son passed away at the track in 2014. I can’t imagine what the father and family must have felt and I send my condolences to them.
What is interesting is that they are fighting to change the way that tracks operate. I wonder if they’ll win and tracks will become more expensive to operate resulting in higher gate fees for participants?
Check out the article here:
http://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/news_detail3.php?list_id=1&email=k…
This also shows that smaller family sizes have a big downside if such a tragedy occurs. I come from a family of 3 kids, and if something happened to me my parents would still have a son and daughter to enjoy life with. That doesn't look to be the case here.
He's got a hard one for blaming women for working and not having enough kids.
The Shop
We all hate government regulation, but this is 2019 and I have a feeling that at some point things are going to change. At a minimum, have some flaggers.
However, I see a lot of issues here.
1. The minor child signed a waiver and the parent guardian did not- Neglect by track operator
2. Sending a mini out with full sized bikes- Neglect by track operator
3. The article wasnt clear if there were flaggers on the course or not.
I think for the track to have an insurance policy they must comply with many requirements even including grooming, prep flaggers, no mixed classes, waiver process, and a host of other safety factors.
This is a private facility and not a race facility so I dont know what they are required to provide, but I can tell you its going to be expensive to defend and the outcome may not be cheap either.
Yes moto is a dangerous sport for sure, but we need to be aware of the risks we take and the must be some due diligence on basic safety.
To me, the kid should never have been allowed to enter a track with a "catapult" knowing it was his first time, and especially during an open practice. IMHO minis and beginners should always have dedicated sessions.
Sad that the father did not know enough about the sport to do it safely and that no one at the track was there to guide them. Its a terrible tragedy and totally avoidable. We all are free to take the risks we know about, but we should also be informed of the risks.
No way a first timer should be in that risky situation. Not sure how to prevent it, but maybe it can be written on the waiver that you sign that beginners should never enter a track during an open session and to train the track workers better.
And the fact that you think parents with multiple kids would just "carry on" if one died. Going to go out on a limb and say that you are alone and have no children. If you do, I feel sorry for them.
Sounds like the young man was really a beginner and the father was not well educated on mx, tracks or risk assessment. The family should have been pointed to a track or riding session that was more suited for them.
MX is a great sport if done safely. Again, terrible loss for this family.
I have chosen not to ride at a track when i felt they were not operating safely, but I have the experience to know it. Regrettably, this family did not. How do we prevent this going forward?
Tragic and horrible for sure...but he shouldn't have been there to begin with.
Terrible story and unfortunate for the man, his son, the track owners and the rider that was involved.
Pay attention! Motocross is inherently dangerous.
If a resource is scarce it becomes more valuable. That's just basic economics.
Oh wait. you're from Feministfornia.
Nevermind.
Pit Row
Maybe trade track time for those that ride for flagging duty?
I know every track operates differently but I always thought my local track did it right.
On weekends from 8am to 10am they have what they call the kids club. Those 2 hours are reserved for kids on mini's (50's and I believe 65's). No one else is allowed on the track.
After 10am, practice is broken down into 20 minute sessions by bike size and skill level.
Mini's: 65-85
Big bikes: Beginner/Junior/C class
Big bikes: Intermediates/B class and Pros
If there's not enough big bikes of a certain skill level to warrant their own session they're all grouped together.
They also have a mini track for the 50's so that kids can continue to ride after 10am in a safe environment.
It's not perfect but it eliminates the risk of adults possibly landing on a child.
No matter how many kids you have, nothing makes it easier. My cousin lost one of 5 kids about 10 years ago on a bike. In a way it was harder because not only were 2 parents mentally screwed up, it really took a toll on the other kids as well. 10 years later there's still a lot of pain, and definitely issues with all of them. Nothing about it is easier with one kid or 100. You really can't rate these situations as easier or harder. In every case it's a worst nightmare come to life.
This deal has been so hush hush that no one really knows what happened outside of the people who were there but I'll admit this really took me to a very dark and emotional place and happened a few weeks before I had a really big crash of my own and right before my wife and I found out that we were expecting. It was heart breaking.
I wish that family would have had some guidance, there were places close by that were easier and safer to ride for a true beginner. Its not difficult to recognize a person who is new to the track. This kid could have been rolling that jump in the middle or trying to get out of the way of the faster rider. I absolutely hate it for the family. I've seen beginners and newbies who get laughed at because they stick out due to lack of speed, skills, matching gear, new bike...etc...I just try to embrace them and give them the direction that I was lucky to get my first time at the track.
They have Marshall's
They scrutineer your bike
They run grouped sessions based on pace
They have an ambulance on site during the track day
Now go to the local mx track - a circus by comparison, but, not for long by the looks of things
I think I just heard the hangman kick the stool out from under you
Post a reply to: Club MX being sued, could affect other tracks?