Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

An eight-year-old girl has died after crashing her junior drag racing car on a track in Western Australia.
Anita Board was on a solo "test run" when her vehicle hit a concrete barrier at the Perth Motorplex, police said.
Paramedics treated her at the scene on Saturday before taking her to hospital, where she died a day later.
The girl had been attempting to gain her licence for junior dragster racing, the Australia National Drag Racing Association (Andra) said.

Mike Sprlyan, of Junior Dragster Australia, told news outlet Perth Now that beginners aged between eight and 17 reached top speeds of about 40-50km/h (25-30mph).

Australian girl, 8, dies after crashing drag race car - BBC News


Apparently WA's Minister for Sport & Recreation, Mick Murray, told reporters that he was unaware that children as young as Anita Board could take part in drag racing.

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I've been to numerous motor racing events over the years, seen more than one nasty crash, and personally I'm amazed that kids as young as 8 are allowed to drag race. Surely they don't have the ability to get themselves out of trouble, and control cars effectively?

Is that just me being an ageing killjoy though? Anyone else got thoughts on it?

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

It's the amazing the things kids participate in. You can kill yourself crossing the road to school or by diving in the shallow end of the pool..

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

I honestly don't know the answer to that, Polly. After feeling so sorry for the family, my first instinct was horror that a child so young was participating in drag racing. But then I thought of all the other activities young kids do which can also result in horrific accidents, such as surfing, skateboarding, dirt bike racing, even riding their bikes to school.

I don't think you're being an 'ageing killjoy' at all! It's perfectly natural to want to protect kids that young and there's no doubt that they lack the judgement they'll hopefully have when they're older. It's not a sport I'd want my 8 year old to participate in but I find myself stopping short of saying it should be banned. Maybe restricted to lower speeds?

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

Its very sad to lose a child, especially one so young. There are always risks involved with activities I guess, it could easily have been a fall from a horse, stuck in an overturned canoe, a fall onto a hard floor from a stage, stacked it on a skate board, stuck in a rip etc.

I guess the sport will tighten the safety rules now and make it less fun for all.

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

I'm all for less fun if it means safer! :thumbup: In this instance, at least.

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

I used to ride fast bikes. I used to skydive - as a grown up. But the thought of my boys doing that, or anything similar, gives me the willies. We can't wrap our kids in cotton wool, but the thought of an eight-year-old doing drag racing... nah... grown-ups can appreciate the danger, that a passtime might kill them. Kids can't.

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

I think drag racing is different in that the speeds can be higher and the machine is heavier. Higher speed + heavier machine = more force and risk in the crashes, plus the lower maturity and judgment levels.

I wonder how many of our crashes on WA country roads are related to this? I see tons of burnout tyre marks on almost all the major roads in every shire I visit, and I've been to almost all of the WA shires this year.

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

Thats the way I was feeling, the speed and power of drag racing machines- can a kid that age control them?

Working for the emergency services I see so many calls to accident scenes where teenagers have crashed powerful cars, both on and off the roads, and I really wonder how many of them realise the sheer power of a car with for example a V8 engine?

Re: Very sad, But was she just too young to be racing?
 

Skiing is one of those sports where 60km into a tree is all too common. Yet millions still ski.

Look at Michael Schumacher. Spent years being the best Formula 1 driver, no problem, then one day out on the ski slopes.

So sad that.

Kids should allowed to race if they are allowed to ski.