Catch fencing

[Tazio]

Are we talking about the kind of chain link fence that RB crashed into at Imola on that weekend that claimed two drivers lives? It makes me cringe every time I see that footage. Talk about your sudden decelaration. Ouch!

[Shifter]

Huh? I'm pretty sure RB hit the kerb and took flight into a tyre barrier that was particularily unyeilding. In fact RB prblably would have been better off hitting the solid wall because it wouldn't have 'caught' the car the way the tyres did.

[Tazio]

Huh? I'm pretty sure RB hit the kerb and took flight into a tyre barrier that was particularily unyeilding. In fact RB prblably would have been better off hitting the solid wall because it wouldn't have 'caught' the car the way the tyres did.

Thanks Shifty!!

[D-Type]

Tazio,
If you re-read my post #9 you will realise that about the only thing that catch fencing DID do effectively was reduce sudden deceleration

[syameese]

Huh? I'm pretty sure RB hit the kerb and took flight into a tyre barrier that was particularily unyeilding. In fact RB prblably would have been better off hitting the solid wall because it wouldn't have 'caught' the car the way the tyres did.

If I recall correctly RB's wheel caught on the debris fence - that sort of fence is completely different to catch-fencing.

I think that the posts suggesting that catch fencing was seen as a beter alternative to armco are spot on. Of course I am old enough to remember that armco was seen as a great advance in safety as it could prevent accidents with trees like Jimmy Clark's at Hockenheim.

Each of these measures were seen as providing an advance in safety, but none were perfect. Now we have reached the stage where the run off areas are so wide that drivers just extend the track and there is rarely a racing consequence for a driving mistake. Safer certainly, but imo still not a perfect solution.

[ArrowsFA1]

This photo might give a better idea of the extent to which catch fencing was deployed. It shows the same Patrese accident as earlier.

[SteveA]

The 1975 multi-pile-up can be seen on YouTube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h9mXWqLjGd8

[ClarkFan]

I think that the posts suggesting that catch fencing was seen as a beter alternative to armco are spot on. Of course I am old enough to remember that armco was seen as a great advance in safety as it could prevent accidents with trees like Jimmy Clark's at Hockenheim.

I even remember that one of the strong early campaigners for Armco barriers was none other than Jackie Stewart. I believe that you are right about the caluclation of those days. Stewart probably knew that the barriers weren't really safe, but they beat a trip into the trees, brick farmhouses, or being trapped in a ditch at Spa surrounded by gasoline. He was always very aware of the odds he faced and worked to do what he could to improve them. Catch fences simply represented the next attempt to lower the risk.

ClarkFan

[Zsolt]

They had catching fences on my copy of the 1976 Italian Grand Prix too. Never saw them before. I didn't think it looked too safe.

[Erki]

I think it's Castle Combe that has some bushes inside the track? I remember Piquet Jr or someone spun his F3 into one of them. And runoff in first corner at Snetterton extends into a cornfield! Last year it looked pretty scary when cars dived into it one after another and drivers were getting out of the field. But still, it looked pretty efficient at slowing the cars down, can't they use something like this everywhere? Or some kind of foam etc?