Air Fence Safety Performance - Research?

[Elephantman]

Can anyone point me in the direction of the research that was done to verify that Air Fences offer more protection to riders than more traditional safety fencing? I'm getting a bit boring in my latter years and this stuff interests me.

 

Thanks

 

 

[oldace]

Can anyone point me in the direction of the research that was done to verify that Air Fences offer more protection to riders than more traditional safety fencing? I'm getting a bit boring in my latter years and this stuff interests me.

 

Thanks

 

You could maybe try your own research if the answer isn't blindingly obvious.

 

Run as fast as you can, face jutted forward, into a brick wall.

 

Then try the same thing into a kids bouncy castle.

 

Let us know which inflicts the most injuries

[Elephantman]

 

 

You could maybe try your own research if the answer isn't blindingly obvious.

 

Run as fast as you can, face jutted forward, into a brick wall.

 

Then try the same thing into a kids bouncy castle.

 

Let us know which inflicts the most injuries

 

This is exactly the sort of response that totally discredits this forum. I ask a serious question and this is the best effort at a response so far.

 

And by the way if after hitting the kids bouncy castle I rebounded in front of and were hit by three motorcycles doing 60-70 mile per hour, or my motorcycle bounced off and fell on me; the brick wall may have been the better option! Which is why I asked for a steer on the research that has been conducted; can anyone point me in the right direction?

Edited September 11, 2013 by Elephantman

[TheReturn]

Can anyone point me in the direction of the research that was done to verify that Air Fences offer more protection to riders than more traditional safety fencing? I'm getting a bit boring in my latter years and this stuff interests me.

 

Thanks

 

Yeah.. it's called common sense.

[Elephantman]

 

 

Yeah.. it's called common sense.

 

Yet another glib answer; and as anyone with a modicum of experience knows the trouble with common sense is that it isn't that common!

 

Where are the facts that I can study that's not an unreasonable request to make is it?

[racers and royals]

This document gives a lot of information(not research) and is a good starting point http://www.fim-live.com/fileadmin/alfresco/2013-6550003_eng.pdf

Here as well http://www.championproducts.info/

[Lord Skid]

The air fence is basically a good idea, the problem is what is actually behind the fence, which is what the rider hits when he goes under or through the fence. I'm sure that the testing is not carried out with the air fence propped up against an Armco barrier, or with thick wooden or metal posts used to support the fence.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Lord Skid

[bendover]

I'd e-mail the FIM directly, asking for the details of any research they used when deciding to impose the regulations regarding compulsory use of air fences

[waiheke1]

have a look here. i think you ill find the number of fatalities has dramatically decreased since the introudction of air fences (note: this does include car speedway, ice speedway and grass track - so you'd need to manually sort the list your self).

 

http://speedwayinmemoriam.yolasite.com/

 

but thinking back to the 80s , you had pyeatt, alderton and Kudrna involved in fatal crashes in 1982 alone.

Joe Owen and Per Jonsson were both paralysed after crashing (i'm prety sure) into old style safety fences - could be wrong, but cant think of anyone ho has sustained the same from an airfence.

 

on a side note, can anyone confirm if any research has been done into the benefits of air fences vs concrete stair wells?

 

[pawel115]

Speaking from Polish perspective Artur Pawlak,Rif Saitgarjejev,Grzegorz Kowszewicz,Grzegorz Smolinski and many others would have been alive today had air fence been around then it improved safety dramatically.

[f-s-p]

This is a good question, the original I mean. I would like to see the research that shows that the new (introduced for Cardiff 2013 I think) "Monster" airfences dont produce any extra strain on a riders neck when hit from the side/slided on to. This naturally compared to the old style elements that had no extractions...

[Elephantman]

Speaking from Polish perspective Artur Pawlak,Rif Saitgarjejev,Grzegorz Kowszewicz,Grzegorz Smolinski and many others would have been alive today had air fence been around then it improved safety dramatically.

 

Unfortunately you cannot state that as if it is fact; it may be the case that they would all be alive; but without the independent research to back it up it is just your belief that they would all be alive. Have these fences been tested using crash test dummies for example? Have bikes been propelled in to them from different angles to measure what happens?

 

It's a bit like the argument that cycle helmets save lives, this is what politicians and the helmet manufacturers want you to believe but the reality is that cycle helmets are designed to protect cyclists from falls not from the impact of motor vehicles. It is the impact of motor vehicles that kills cyclists. So although it may seem logical to wear a cycle helmet in reality they do little if anything to help protect from the type of accident that will lead to a fatality.

 

So the question is do air fences actually improve safety and if so how much over other fences designs, or do we just all feel better about air fences because we believe that they should improve safety, even though there is little or no factual or investigative evidence to back up that belief?

Edited September 11, 2013 by Elephantman

[BWitcher]

 

 

It's a bit like the argument that cycle helmets save lives, this is what politicians and the helmet manufacturers want you to believe but the reality is that cycle helmets are designed to protect cyclists from falls not from the impact of motor vehicles. It is the impact of motor vehicles that kills cyclists. So although it may seem logical to wear a cycle helmet in reality they do little if anything to help protect from the type of accident that will lead to a fatality.

 

 

You don't need to be hit by a car to be killed when riding a bike. You can fall of a bike at very slow speed, hit the back of your head on concrete and be killed. It may not happen often, but it happens. Wearing a helmet will vastly reduce the chances of that happening.

 

 

[Elephantman]

 

 

You don't need to be hit by a car to be killed when riding a bike. You can fall of a bike at very slow speed, hit the back of your head on concrete and be killed. It may not happen often, but it happens. Wearing a helmet will vastly reduce the chances of that happening.

 

Correct which is what cycle helmets are designed to protect you from (and why in my opinion you should choose to wear one); however most fatalities on cycles are caused by being hit by a faster moving vehicle (or being crushed by an HGV)so don't kid yourself that wearing a helmet will prevent this.

 

So that begs the question are we all kidding ourselves re air fences?

Edited September 11, 2013 by Elephantman

[The White Knight]

Correct which is what cycle helmets are designed to protect you from (and why in my opinion you should choose to wear one); however most fatalities on cycles are caused by being hit by a faster moving vehicle (or being crushed by an HGV)so don't kid yourself that wearing a helmet will prevent this.

 

So that begs the question are we all kidding ourselves re air fences?

 

No - we are NOT!!

 

What we ARE doing is reducing the risk of serious injury. NO System on this Planet is infallible and incidents (like Chris Holder's) will ALWAYS happen as long as Riders ride Speedway.

 

As I say - all we can do is to try and MINIMISE that risk - and - THAT we are doing with Air Fences. In my opinion - they are a MUST.

[BWitcher]

 

 

Correct which is what cycle helmets are designed to protect you from (and why in my opinion you should choose to wear one); however most fatalities on cycles are caused by being hit by a faster moving vehicle (or being crushed by an HGV)so don't kid yourself that wearing a helmet will prevent this.

 

So that begs the question are we all kidding ourselves re air fences?

 

So they reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Job done.

 

 

[Lord Skid]

No - we are NOT!!

 

What we ARE doing is reducing the risk of serious injury. NO System on this Planet is infallible and incidents (like Chris Holder's) will ALWAYS happen as long as Riders ride Speedway.

 

As I say - all we can do is to try and MINIMISE that risk - and - THAT we are doing with Air Fences. In my opinion - they are a MUST.

Chris Holder's accident should never have ended as it did, no way should he have gone into the barrier behind, that fence had a major flaw in it, and unfortunately Chris was on the receiving end.

[TheReturn]

Correct which is what cycle helmets are designed to protect you from (and why in my opinion you should choose to wear one); however most fatalities on cycles are caused by being hit by a faster moving vehicle (or being crushed by an HGV)so don't kid yourself that wearing a helmet will prevent this.

 

So that begs the question are we all kidding ourselves re air fences?

 

Seriously... my glib answer earlier was because I did not think anyopne was so bloody stupid to doubt the benefits of using air fences. Speedway is a dangerous sport, and sadly serious incidents will happen, but watch any crash into an air fence and it is clear to see that serious injury can clearly be overcome hitting aiur oadded rather than hard wood, or in the case of exeter back in the day metal fencing.

[chunky]

 

but thinking back to the 80s , you had pyeatt, alderton and Kudrna involved in fatal crashes in 1982 alone.

Joe Owen and Per Jonsson were both paralysed after crashing (i'm prety sure) into old style safety fences - could be wrong, but cant think of anyone ho has sustained the same from an airfence.

 

Zdenek Kudrna is not a good example here; he was killed at a grass-track meeting without a solid fence. Many of the tragedies at Hackney were the result of hitting lamp standards, although I'm not sure that Denny Pyeatt did. Even with an air fence, it is possible for a rider to go over the fence.

 

Having witnessed Leif Wahlmann's fatal crash, I certainly feel that an airfence at Saddlebow Rd back then could certainly have prevented that.

 

Steve

[mickthemuppet]

I always thought that the old wooden safety at Ipswich was as good as any air fence there.