Nothing is more exhilarating than screeching tires, electrified fans, and the sounds of 40 roaring engines flying by you at incredible speeds. All of these factors appeal to the senses and deliver a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience each time you visit the speedway. NASCAR has been at the heart of many Americans since its first event in 1948 at Daytona Beach. As the sport became popular, more money was invested into participating cars to make them faster. While faster cars meant they were lighter and had more horsepower, this often came at the cost of safety.
Likewise, on public roads speed and safety also clash. Understanding that a regular car is not the same as a racecar can save lives — if you were involved in a crash, a Boulder car accident lawyer can get you the compensation you deserve.
Evolution of NASCAR
Stock cars of NASCAR today can reach average speeds of 188.3 mph (on Super Speedways such as Talladega). They also have an average of 670 horsepower compared to the 152 horsepower of the 1949 Lincoln Coupe — one of the first cars to compete in a NASCAR race. Although technological development allowed for massively more powerful vehicles, it also raised the risk of injury for drivers (and fans). The deaths of NASCAR drivers rose steadily over the decades reaching its height in 2000/2001 when racing legend Dale Earnhardt and three other NASCAR drivers all died from crashes resulting in basilar skull fractures.
Safety Improvements in NASCAR
Since the death of Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR has come up with many different ways to reduce fatal accidents:
- 2001: All drivers are required to use the HANS device (prevents the whiplash effect by synchronizing head and body)
- 2002: Concrete walls replaced with energy-absorbing SAFER barriers, completed by 2005
- 2003: “Free-pass” rule implemented, which froze the entire field during cautions
- 2007: Six-point harness requirement to reduce sternum injuries (seven-point harness today)
- 2007: Moved drivers to center of the car and added energy absorbing materials to driver side door panel
- 2013: Updated roll bars added for increased protection during rollover crashes
- 2017: Partnership with AMR adds a physician to on-track medical response team
High Speeds Lead to Devastating Accidents On and Off the Speedways
With average speeds reaching close to 200 mph, NASCAR crashes are spectacularly morbid. Drivers involved in rollover crashes spin sideways at such high speeds that entire panels of car fly off in all directions. For what only lasts 10 seconds feels like ages, having fans and loved ones hoping and praying that their beloved driver is ok.
Comparing this to public road high-speed car accidents by non-racecar drivers, the results are disastrous. Other than the average person not being a NASCAR driver (and not knowing how to handle a car at high-speeds), the common street cars they are pushing to the limit cannot work properly the faster they go. Race cars (like the stock cars found in NASCAR) have specialized high performance brakes compared to their street car counterparts, of which lack the proper equipment to handle these breakneck speeds. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that “12,330 people [were] killed in 2021 [from] speeding-related crashes” and “reminds everyone to slow down and arrive safely – it’s better to arrive a few minutes late than not at all.”
You Are Not a NASCAR Driver
At the end of the day, most people do not drive cars for a living (especially ones that reach top speeds of 278 mph). For this reason it is imperative that you slow down when driving your non-racing car. This will ensure the safety of you and those around you, preventing disaster car accidents that no one benefits from.
