Driver Death at Le Mans Raises Safety Issue Again

Edmunds.com

Driver Death at Le Mans Raises Safety Issue Again

Questions about the danger in auto racing are once again at the forefront following the death of Allan Simonsen during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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*Tertre Rouge* The Armco barriers certainly have to go, considering all the delays caused by repair work this year, not to mention the #13 Rebellion driver's cracked ribs from a wreck the car drove away from. However, I'm not sure it is fully the Armco barrier that was at fault in Simonsen's incident, but rather the tree that was directly behind the armco. It had the bark stripped right off it. It is not entirely correct to say all major tracks have SAFER barriers - that's mainly an oval thing - but at the least they do have barriers with better energy absorption properties than a corrugated steel guardrail in front of some trees. Remembering McNish's massive crash two years ago and Davidson's last year, a simple tire barrier at the exit of Tertre Rouge would be a good starting place.