Whether it is a personality, a stunt man or a fighter pilot it is still a risk and things can go wrong.
However progress depends on pushing boundaries, in such circumstances safety is a relative thing, as long as all reasonable steps were taken and corners were not cut then no blame should be apportioned.
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You can't legislate against life, fate, and random occurances.
We are rapidly setting the weakest link to be the benchmark against which others are measured. Totally ludicrous. (Speeding is a prime example)
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You couldn't get better replies than the two above.
People live and people die. No-one was in the wrong and no-one's to blame. It's our nature to push ourselves, push the boundaries and take risks. That's what life's all about.
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The trouble is that the people who want children to wear goggles and protective gloves when they play conkers tend to end up working for organisations like The Health and Safety Executive.
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Robin Reliant, formerly known as Tom Shaw
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Its a little silly to ascribe ludicrous interpretations of the law to HSE, who were not involved in that issue! BTW, The investigation has hardly started, we have no facts other than the injury to Richard. We'll have to see what is learned from this, which is actually what HSE and the police will be aiming at.
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Personally, I think Richard was mad to try running at high speeds in this vehicle.
The Prime Time Land Speed Team essentially consists of a pilot who wasn't selected to drive the Thrust SSC, and a bloke who used to be an RAF jet technician.
By comparison, take a look at Thrust SSC's site: www.thrustssc.com/
They had Ron Ayers, who also worked with Richard Noble on the DieselMax car, as Chief Aerodynamacist.
Designing a high-speed vehicle is a very complex business.
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Richard Noble's comments in today's Telegraph he states "We started from a different position from the Top Gear guys. You need to create a safety culture from day one. "
"What you have to look out for is the man who is getting some kind of thrill out of the experience," he said. "You need to get a man like that off the team. He will not do as he is told and will put the whole project in jeopardy."
From another article 'Witnesses to Wednesday's crash at a disused airfield near York said that Hammond, 36, had become increasingly "euphoric" as he increased his speed during test runs during the day. ' According to Richard Noble this would rule Richard Hammond out as a potential driver for him.
Although this was an accident, and accidents can happen at almost anytime and place, I feel reasonable precautions were taken and Richard Hammond knew what he was doing was not risk free.
The third link is to another Telegraph article "Our risk-averse culture hates fun" which sums up why programs like Top Gear should continue to be made.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006...l
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006...l
www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinio...l
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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You are born, you live, you die.
Life if full of risks, calculated and uncalculated.
People should be free to make their own decisions as to what is "unnecessary" risk, provided any risk they take won't endanger the innocent.
The H&S executive are there to ensure that unnecessary risk isn't imposed on the innocent - but they can get over zealous sometimes!! (or is it just reporting bias?).
With the "Hamster incident", we are all just glad Richard seems to be improving, and wish him the best.
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Colin-E
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But there was a hint in today's coverage that the Top Gear film crew, or some of them, had complained about being nearly mown down by a 'test driver' during filming for the programme. I suspect it may have been not the Stig but one of the stars in a reasonably priced metal jelly.
Bit depressing that people involved in TG are apparently willing to have it emasculated by the nanny wonks.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you chaps. Just move back a bit next time and use a longer lens.
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RH the 'driving god' getting thrills from driving?
If people can't have fun what's the point?
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What Richard Noble is talking about isn't spoiling people's fun, but self control. Remember the old saying? There are old pilots and bold pilots but no old, bold pilots.
If Hammond was going for the record that should have been his only reason for being on the track in the car. Every cell in his body should have been focussed on that and every action should have reflected that. Doing it for kicks is a much riskier thing. Of course we don't know what his attitude was. With a bit of luck he'll be able to tell us one day.
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Only yesterday there was an item in the news where a Council had asked for doormats to be removed from its council houses over health and safety concerns after one person had tripped across one.
Outstanding!
Perhaps we should sue the HSE for not legislating in repsect of R Hammonds accident. Honestly, how can they not have forseen that something at some point would go horribly wrong and therefore be minded to legislate against it.
We should be grateful that the civil service is not around everytime someone invents something.
Given R Hammonds experience with wild and whackey vehicles I cannot imagine that he would not have been in a position to say no if he thought he couldn't handle it.
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Flying fighter planes off aircraft carriers is exceptionally dangerous. I don't know what the figures are but long-serving pilots stand a good chance of being involved in a life-threatening incident. The moment of greatest danger is not takeoff, although that too has to work properly, with vast forces and complex mechanisms involved, but landing, with the aircraft brought to a halt by a cable stretched across the deck which is caught by a hook let down from the rear of the plane.
Fleet Air Arm pilots were well known as the maddest flyers. The navy would take pilots who were too psychologically dodgy for the RAF. Was driven by one in a Sunbeam-Talbot before 1960, and can confirm his barminess.
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