cut suit certification rule?????

[jeff55v]

So, I guess this rule came about because safety gear was not being checked by race officials at the race sites.
So... they wouldn't check the gear before, but they will check it for the little "inspected by" tag now?

Add:
My suggestion for my commissioner will be the following:
Repeal the certification rule!
Instead require all participants present their safety gear for a visual inspection at the driver's meeting.

[johnsonm50]

Trust me I want me family and friends safe and I posted on here a few weeks ago everyone should put cut resistant socks on their Christmas list. Donny actually just picked up a second pair and all of the Allen’s that race will wear them also from now on.

I just don't think this rule does what we need.

So if we are truly concerned with safety, how about we ban drinking at the races from 6:00PM on Friday until the last heat on Sunday. Then we won’t have people racing all hung over or maybe even still inebriated, they will be sharper and have better motor skills and we’ll all be safer.

A heavy bout of drinking affects nearly every system of the body for up to 24 hours. A look at the body's reaction to a large dose of alcohol:
• Stomach lining become inflamed, delaying digestion; excess gastric acid contributes to nausea.
• Liver builds up fatty and lactic acids, impairing the body's ability to metabolize sugar. The resulting low (hypoglycemia) can cause weakness and mood disturbances.
• Muscles become weak from dehydration and low blood sugar levels.
• Brain's blood vessels dilate, causing a throbbing headache. Dehydration can cause the brain to pull from its lining, intensifying the pain.
• Pituitary gland releases improper amounts of several hormones, disrupting the brain's circadian rhythm (which makes sleep feel less restful) and interfering with normal kidney function.
• Central nervous system becomes chemically overexcited, causing sweating, tremors and sensitivity to light, sound and touch.
• Heart can become inflamed; start beating with an abnormal rhythm, or even stop beating.
• Pancreas increases production of digestive chemicals, causing pain, nausea and vomiting.

WoW, Im glad I only enjoy a 1 or 2 wines or beers now & then but it all still leaves the question why you might also get the spins, usually when your done & try to get some shut-eye, Wake up sober or keep sleepin

[ram95]

These discussions are great. Too bad everyone doesn't have a pc on their kitchen table so they can participate after cleaning up the dinner dishes..... and prior to going back "down to the shop" etc.

What we always need to be on the lookout for are "solutions" for which no problem exists. And when this stuff piles up, each member needs to contact their respective Commissioner and present a coherent viewpoint. "Coherent" in this instance means a viewpoint that is supported by some substantive evidence (or, in the case of "recert".. the total lack thereof).

I'm sure an attorney could word this better but I bet y'all get my drift... aye?

Yeah... rock n roll!

Alex
SO Com, R1

[Dave M]

I give Up

Forshey is right, mandate the hell out of everything, we can race for cheaper premiums. Why not simply give up racing and just do parade laps ? Combine all the categories general rules, and saftey rules, and we can then all parade around single file and be safe.

Sorry for the rant, just getting sick and tired of APBA telling me what is safe and what I have to do to be safe. Maybe I should move to Cuba.

[Matt Dagostino]

Dave.................

Forshey is right, mandate the hell out of everything, we can race for cheaper premiums. Why not simply give up racing and just do parade laps ? Combine all the categories general rules, and saftey rules, and we can then all parade around single file and be safe.

Sorry for the rant, just getting sick and tired of APBA telling me what is safe and what I have to do to be safe. Maybe I should move to Cuba.

I hear the cigars are great in Cuba. I agree with you on the certification issue. It WILL be discussed no doubt at the National Meeting!

[Kev43V]

Yes Mat you are right I am sure it will be discussed. But the real question is will a better rule be passed? Or will this assinine rule be applied to all cats. Now that is the question. I have heard rumor of some that want to take this stock rule and make it safety rule across the board for all catagories. the excuse was to remove the discrepancys between cats. on a "very important" safety rule.
Important to who is my question.
I doubt it is important to have from most peoples perspectives. I think most are more concerned about the actual condition of their gear and not about if someone sewed a label in the gear.
I feel it is important to nip this in the bud if you will AND GET RID OF IT.
All we really have to do is give the refs a clear guideline on what is exceptable and what is not. then let them inforce it.

[forshey99]

dont give up

Forshey is right, mandate the hell out of everything, we can race for cheaper premiums. Why not simply give up racing and just do parade laps ? Combine all the categories general rules, and saftey rules, and we can then all parade around single file and be safe.

Sorry for the rant, just getting sick and tired of APBA telling me what is safe and what I have to do to be safe. Maybe I should move to Cuba.

Maybe you're right. maybe we should just throw out the rule book and race for fun every weekend. No rules, no regulations, no ambulance, no paramdeics, no insurance, no lifejackets, no helmets, no awards, no points....just for fun. If you crash and break your neck, we'll just pass the helmet and hope we can drum up enough scratch to get you an ambulance ride to the hospital. Great idea Dave, let's get rid of those **** regulatory associations and go have some fun!

In all seriousness, the topic for consideration was insurance and how the certification may affect premiums. I simply stated that increasing safety, decreasing injuries, and decreasing insurance liabilities may help reduce premiums and make our hobby less of a risk to insurers.

I don't want to "mandate the hell out of everything" as Dave put it, but just being realistic that we need insurance and if our program can be made more attractive (read: less of a risk), then maybe suit certification is a good thing.
It was speculation on my part, sorry to chime in form the other side of the fence.

[Dave M]

Sorry Nate

Maybe you're right. maybe we should just throw out the rule book and race for fun every weekend. No rules, no regulations, no ambulance, no paramdeics, no insurance, no lifejackets, no helmets, no awards, no points....just for fun. If you crash and break your neck, we'll just pass the helmet and hope we can drum up enough scratch to get you an ambulance ride to the hospital. Great idea Dave, let's get rid of those **** regulatory associations and go have some fun!

In all seriousness, the topic for consideration was insurance and how the certification may affect premiums. I simply stated that increasing safety, decreasing injuries, and decreasing insurance liabilities may help reduce premiums and make our hobby less of a risk to insurers.

I don't want to "mandate the hell out of everything" as Dave put it, but just being realistic that we need insurance and if our program can be made more attractive (read: less of a risk), then maybe suit certification is a good thing.
It was speculation on my part, sorry to chime in form the other side of the fence.

Nothing personal against you. It is getting to the point that I am not liking what I am seeing within the org. if this gets across all categories I do give up. It is a culmination of many things, not just this cut suit rule. What ever happened to common sense, and people being responsible for themselves ?

Tell Christie I said hey.

I might go buy a jet ski and have fun on the weekends. At least then I can be one of those aholes that buzzes a fisherman. Or better yet, take up fishing, worst I have to worry about is hooking myself in the nose or something.

Y'all have fun debating, I am out of this.

[wbirdstrike]

I just had a thought about this after reading all the responses about cutsuites. Is the APBA looking to get rid of the stock outboard/mod outdboard racers? You know what I mean, the people that can't bring big cash to the table to promote the association. The people that race for racing sake. Rules changes for safety are always a must but, without help from an orginization, like the APBA, to help lessen the finantial burden, only hurt the grass roots racer. I am not saying recerts should or should not be done, I'm saying the organizing body should bear the responsibility cost of a rule change like this. Unless, that is, they don't want the people who made them anymore? Just a thought. Flame me if you want but, I have never seen a stock outboard race on the news without LOCAL sponsorship. Tim White(WhiteknightRacing119M).

[PRO-MOTIONRACING]

Rethinking

Let's see if I have this straight, $70.00 to have a jacket cleaned and certified and $80.00 to have a suit cleaned and certified, at last years prices, is this correct?, and this is now going to be mandatory?.
So for me this would be two jackets and three suits plus a new helmet or $370.00 +helmet, +shipping this year just for new labels.
I might need to think about this one.

[blueskyracer]

I guess the regional representives don't listen to the folks they represent. I bet most of the members did not ask for these new rules and have no data to back it up. Just another way to suck a person dry!

[mike ross]

All these saftey issues on the agenda are recommendations from the Saftey Committee. They want to see how each division responds to the suggestions. We will see how it rools out. Most of the SORC was not in favor of these or wanted just a slight change. SORC likes the way it is now.

[B1PRORACER]

It seems a little odd that we adopted the U.I.M. safety rules concerning rounded pickles and coaming impact material..... while their personal safety equipment (helmet, lifejacket, etc) is up to the driver to determine what they will use. I think is should be the decision of the driver to determine what is safe.
For years, MOST racers have resented safety rules, because we never get to VOTE on them! Safety rules are MANDATED by a select group of people who know what is best for the rest of us!
Over all of my decades of racing, I have seen many non-safety items become a rule under the disguise of safety.....

[Brian10s]

I'm not sure how they do it in UIM but one of the reasons for all the safety rules has been Insurance and liability driven. I guess if a driver would decline from being covered under the APBA insurance and could not hold anyone liable, then you could go back to shorts & sunglasses as your only protective gear. Hopefully the price of Insurance would go down then for the rest of the racers.

[Dave M]

10s

I disagree. If those you speak of opt out, your premiums will not go down. It cost the same to insure 1 race boat racing as it would 12 in a heat. It is dangerous to race. Even the doctors at hospitals, and local doctors you follow up with if injured tell you it is dangerous and maybe you should give it up. It is about choice, not whether it is dangerous or not. Each and every racer out there knows what coupld happen to them each time they pull the rope.

You CAN get cheaper inurance if some of the coverages are adjusted, that has been proven. You CAN cut the expense in half should you want to, it only takes a call to K&K to change it. So i am not buying this theory that if we put a lot more safety rules into the sport it will reduce the insurance rates. That simply is not going to happen.

Also, remember that the coverage APBA carries does not cover the driver beyond 20K if memory serves. The coverage they supply is a secondary coverage to your own personal policy. In other words, they pick up what your insurance does not, up to a certain point. It is great for those broken fingers, cuts, and what not; that are not extensive. So basically you are paying that much for secondary coverage.....