The Clio crash on Saturday was without a doubt the talk of the Nürburgring for the last couple of days. The driver, who I won’t name, was no stranger to the Nürburgring, but his crash was spectacular, garnering 100,000 views in only a couple of days.
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Both the driver and his girlfriend were injured in the crash, though not critically. That’s actually a pretty good result, when you take a look at the video below. If you’ve already seen it, then feel free to keep scrolling down…
…to the view from the GT86 directly behind it. It’s surprising to see that the cause of the crash was pretty benign (and predictable for a Renault). Oversteer caused by a combination of too much steering, too much brake and the bump at the entry to Schwedenkreuz:
But I’m not going to talk about the crash too much. Hey, it’s a fast FWD with an agile chassis, and you can make it crash 20kmh slower by lifting off the gas, than you could by just approaching the corner 20kmh faster and staying on the gas.
Instead, let’s talk about this, the impromptu carpark that formed the other side of the track’s fastest/craziest/most-dangerous corner.
I understand the need to stop and help, but at NO POINT should you forget that the same crash could happen very easily when the next french hatchback comes over the crest, sees the carpark ahead, and lifts off the gas and turns more.
So what should you do?
- Look for somewhere safe to stop. The orange paint on the fence shows a marshal’s parking point. You can see one in the photo above.
- Phone the emergency number (0800030112) and explain there is a crash, give the location (best by using the 3-digit number you can see closest, which is the marshal post number).
- If you don’t have a phone, or somebody else is already doing that, the next job is to WARN ONCOMING DRIVERS… get over the fence, don’t run up the track, and wave your arms (or better a yellow flag) and slow the traffic. This might mean running 100s of metres… in this time cars might be approaching you at 200kmh or more.
- Finally, when you’re SURE that no other cars are going to crash into the accident and make it even worse, you can look at the car and driver and think about helping.
What shouldn’t you do?
- Don’t park up just to have a look at the accident. If you’re not a trained first-responder, if you don’t have a clear idea of HOW you will help, then just drive safely and slowly past. There are enough volunteer and paid marshals, trust me.
- Don’t become the next accident or casualty. If you forget to warn the oncoming and stand in the track, you might be the next person needing an ambulance.
