Surviving the impossible
Superleague Formula's Medical Delegate, Chris Ruddlesdin, assesses how and why Chris van der Drift wasn't seriously injured in his Brands Hatch horror shunt.
On every ticket and programme at UK motorsport events we are reminded that this sport is dangerous. Yet only when we witness a dramatic accident, such as Chris van der Drift's huge crash at Brands Hatch, do we really take notice of such statements.
Perhaps that is because motor-sport has become so relatively safe compared to its past. Jackie Stewart, in his book Winning is not enough records that 57 international racing drivers lost their lives competing between 1963 and '73. And that danger has not been eliminated, as evidenced by Ayrton Senna's death in 1994, Alex Zanardi's horrendous accident in 2001, and Massa's head injury only last season.
So what has changed? Undoubtedly the circuits are safer, with run-off areas, Armco etc. But accidents will still happen. Car design, drivers' personal protection equipment and emergency services have all evolved as a result of Jackie Stewart's initiative and Professor Sid Watkins' pioneering work.
Car design:
When I look at historic F1 cars and their tubular steel construction, I am struck by how little protection the cars from the '70's and '80's afforded the driver. The bodywork was purely cosmetic.
Modern cars, such as the Superleague Formula single seater, have a composite (carbon fibre, Kevlar, etc) safety tub which completely surrounds and protects the driver. The suspension, engine, transmission and bodywork are attached to this but, more particularly, are designed to detach themselves (or be shed) as the car impacts barriers, the track, other vehicles etc, dissipating energy as the car decelerates after an accident. This is particularly relevant if the car bounces down the track rather than hitting a solid, immovable barrier head-on.
Hence the dramatic footage of Chris' recent accident at Brands, from which he would have walked away had he not injured his ankle! In truth, he probably decelerated more slowly and experienced less G-force than if he had applied the brakes fully, although all the spinning would have challenged his balance mechanisms!
These safety cells (often referred to as tubs) are crash tested with high energy simulations to ensure their strength and integrity. Superleague tubs are tested to F1 standards.
Driver safety equipment:
Gone are the days of shirt sleeves, cotton overalls and leather flying helmets. Today, flameproof clothing (including underwear), carbon fibre helmets (expensive at £3000+ each), HANS neck braces, six-point racing harnesses and a safety seat which allows the driver to be lifted from the tube in his seat, thus protecting his spine, are pre-requisites of top-end motorsport. When Chris came to rest 400 meters from the initial accident, the safety cell (which was severely damaged) remained in place around him, his seat belts were intact and secure, while his helmet had a deep scuff from its scraping on the floor, but remained intact.
The injuries Chris received were all peripheral to his hands (scraping along the ground outside of the cockpit) and ankle as it was thrown about, unrestrained within the tub and around the pedals, but his vital head, spine and torso areas were un-injured.
Medical and Safety Teams:
Jackie Stewart recounts how rudimentary the medical and safety arrangements at GP circuits in the 1970s were, with little medical expertise and even less equipment. Nowadays, racing circuits have compulsory medical facilities, with teams of trained doctors and paramedics (trained in resuscitation skills) rescue crews to extricate drivers and marshals to deal with any fire etc.
My role, as Superleague Formula Medical Delegate, is to travel with the championship to every circuit and ensure that the local medical and rescue services meet a common (high) standard. I ensure that there are the necessary doctors, with appropriate skills, and that the vehicles and equipment are to the necessary standards, and that there is a team of trained rescue operatives who can safely extricate a driver from his crashed car in the minimum of time whilst not aggravating any injuries. To assess this, I perform a simulated extrication exercise at each circuit we visit.
My role is not to intervene in the provision of medical care at an incident (unless I feel that the medical care is seriously deficient or inappropriate): it is vital that the local teams work as a team without my interference. I am there as a familiar face for the driver and as a pair of informed eyes and ears at an incident site, reporting back to the Race Director in a language that he can understand.
Summary:
Motorsport is undeniably safer now than at any previous time, but danger can never be completely eliminated. Fortunately, Chris van der Drift escaped his huge accident with relatively minor (i.e. non-life-threatening) injuries thanks to his equipment, the car design and the professionalism of the medical and rescue team that dealt with the aftermath of his accident.
