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Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:44 pm
by Yorkie Z
Just seen this pop up on my Facebook page, not sure when it was or if it's already been mentioned but it looks like a nasty pile up.

https://youtu.be/mL_rZ9DvCX8

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:55 pm
by Paulr
The drivers that managed to stop must have been gutted to see everyone then slide into their cars.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:01 pm
by Yorkie Z
Paulr wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:55 pm The drivers that managed to stop must have been gutted to see everyone then slide into their cars.
Yeah I was thinking that, especially the guy in the footage. If he carried on he'd still have a car, he didn't seem to react when his got hit.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:08 pm
by hopz121
Just goes to show how dangerous the ring can be and how things change so quickly, that will be a very costly process for all involved, most through no fault of there own!

Hopefully no one was injured and some had insurance.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:18 pm
by RickRob
That's why I'll never be going there. Total lack of marshalling in that clip as far as I could see and it exposes that if you're on the limit it takes a long time to react and stop.

Hope everyone was OK.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:30 pm
by mmm-five
This happened on my last day there a couple of weeks ago. Despite that last minute it was probably the most well-behaved weekend (5 days for me) I’ve been.

It was being discussed on the Bridge-To-Gantry website.

http://www.bridgetogantry.com/freak-14- ... t-weekend/

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:47 pm
by Yorkie Z
mmm-five wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:30 pm This happened on my last day there a couple of weeks ago. Despite that last minute it was probably the most well-behaved weekend (5 days for me) I’ve been.

It was being discussed on the Bridge-To-Gantry website.

http://www.bridgetogantry.com/freak-14- ... t-weekend/

Looks pretty nasty from that link. Seems a Marshall had left his post early :(

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:02 pm
by mmm-five
Yorkie Z wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:47 pm Looks pretty nasty from that link. Seems a Marshall had left his post early :(
Still might not have helped if the marshal was there, as there's very little space to do anything once you see a flag/yellow light, and some people simply lift off vs slamming on.

It looks like a Porsche driving is going’s to be on the hook for a fair bill.

We completely missed the closure as it was the end of the day anyway, and we were busy waiting, at the entrance, for the police to turn up to resolve a little issue one of our group had with a German driver. Can’t say much more until the claim/blame has been worked out (although there was an independent witness who happened to record the incident, and significantly supports our side of the story).

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:17 pm
by Paulr
How does that work, insurance-wise? I assume anyone on their must buy insurance (they would be stupid not too) but does that mean that the insurance company will pay for the helicopters, cars, track and barrier repairs, recovery and storage? In which case that must be some expensive insurance!

If someone isn't insured, what happens then?

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:32 pm
by TomK
Paulr wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:17 pm How does that work, insurance-wise? I assume anyone on their must buy insurance (they would be stupid not too) but does that mean that the insurance company will pay for the helicopters, cars, track and barrier repairs, recovery and storage? In which case that must be some expensive insurance!

If someone isn't insured, what happens then?
If the porsche driver is german he will be covered under his road insurance policy (it is after all a public road adhering to any German law as such) for at least the 3rd party claims is my understanding. However, if it is an english car then the driver will be liable, TF days are exempt from any standard road UK policy AFAIK, and I know of not one specialist track day policy that will cover you on TF. That's the problem for us brits going there on a TF day, split a coolant hose, cause crash, big trouble :( Don't go there in any of the new McLarens basically if you happen to have one :lol:

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:10 pm
by jimmybell
sad times. surprised they havent got more obvious (bigger) yellow LED panels or something with more cameras/control centre to remotely marshall it better. it went on for a few minutes before people actually slowed in time. 14 cars is it? should of been 5.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:35 pm
by Marlon
jimmybell wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:10 pm sad times. surprised they havent got more obvious (bigger) yellow LED panels or something with more cameras/control centre to remotely marshall it better. it went on for a few minutes before people actually slowed in time. 14 cars is it? should of been 5.
Agreed, and the guy who pulled over and videoed the whole thing as he tried to warn other drivers looked back and saw his own car being totalled - complete chaos!

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:41 pm
by TomK
Marlon wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:35 pm
jimmybell wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:10 pm sad times. surprised they havent got more obvious (bigger) yellow LED panels or something with more cameras/control centre to remotely marshall it better. it went on for a few minutes before people actually slowed in time. 14 cars is it? should of been 5.
Agreed, and the guy who pulled over and videoed the whole thing as he tried to warn other drivers looked back and saw his own car being totalled - complete chaos!
Whilst his intentions may have been good, parking in front of an accident spot particularly at somewhere like the ring with no run off is really not the brightest of ideas.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:45 pm
by Marlon
TomK wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:41 pm
Marlon wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:35 pm
jimmybell wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:10 pm sad times. surprised they havent got more obvious (bigger) yellow LED panels or something with more cameras/control centre to remotely marshall it better. it went on for a few minutes before people actually slowed in time. 14 cars is it? should of been 5.
Agreed, and the guy who pulled over and videoed the whole thing as he tried to warn other drivers looked back and saw his own car being totalled - complete chaos!
Whilst his intentions may have been good, parking in front of an accident spot particularly at somewhere like the ring with no run off is really not the brightest of ideas.
yeah, in hindsight I bet he wished he had manoeuvred slowly around the crash - he was going slow enough to get through.

Nasty pile up at the Ring.

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:49 pm
by mmm-five
It’s a bit of a catch-22.

You're not covered by your UK road insurance, but you can’t buy German road insurance for a UK car.

Legally, you are covered for 3rd party liabilities on your UK road policy, because a UK insurer cannot remove these rights as you’re simply driving on a German road.

However, in practice, they insert a clause which says that they will pay out to the 3rd party - as it’s their legal obligation - BUT reserve the right to come after the policy holder to recoup their losses...in certain circumstances...the Nürburgring being one.

I’m covered via a MORIS policy for FIRST PARTY claims only, with a £1500 excess. However, a £1m+ 3rd party claim would mean I’d be sued or made bankrupt to pay for it. I suppose I could offer to pay at £1/week :P

Part of the reason that I don’t go chasing times, or driving at 10/10ths, clipping/riding every kerb...but there’d be little I could do if I had a coolant hose let go at the bottom of Fuchsrohre...other than pulling off the track as soon as I became aware of it.

A couple of German terms I became aware of this latest trip (from the Polizei), are similar to ones in the UK. Something along the lines of 'drive to the conditions’ and ‘drive what you can see’.

I.e. only drive as fast as the prevailing conditions allow, and only as fast as you can see safely to stop.

I wonder if any insurance claims have been reduced due to the claimant not being able to stop in time as they’ve barrelled around a blind corner, or over a blind crest? Obviously a cooolant/oil/fuel spill is another matter.