Re: Airbags

[Glenn Lawton <lawtonglenn@gsmai.com>]

Trisha Bethen wrote:
> ...if you have an airbag and run...at any track it is HIGHLY recommended 
> that you pull the fuse that operates the airbag.  If you should...have an 
> unfortunate incident at the track, you do not want that going off...


Well, I've been to many Driver's Ed events, driving, watching, and helping,
and until last month, I boasted that the only bent sheet metal I witnessed 
was three years ago when a 911 got two wheels off at Lime Rock's West Bend, 
and tried to come back on, shot across, and hit under the bridge.

Anyway, I invited the esteemed Mr. Royal to see how safe it was, and watch
the PCA event at NHIS on 25-Oct. I was heading out to stage with white, when...

BAM!!!

A most beautiful red 993, with really cool wheels, who enters turn 3 probably
much much much faster than I do, has brake failure, decides not to turn 
anyway and spin, decides not to turn anyway and sideswipe the tire wall,
decides not to try to snake through to 11, no he decides to...

Go straight into the wall!!?! 

Front end crushed, air bag deployed, KNOCKS OVER A JERSEY BARRIER that
was protected by two layers of stacked used race tires. Boy he hit hard.

He gets out, no blood, no breaks, nothing. In general I am sure that Trisha
is correct, but on that day, I'll bet he's glad he didn't disable the airbag.

Glenn