[Closed] The Border Counties Rally

You're right, everyone is on edge about safety as, put simply, if there is one more accident with spectators/media then it would be easy for the FC to say 'no thanks' to any more rallies in the UK. It is that serious. And what a hell of a shame to those of us that are responsible when watching, never mind the crews with expensive cars and businesses who make a living from the sport. It would absolutely break my heart, as rallying is a huge part of my life.

Please go out and watch (at the mentioned spectator areas), and take photos, and above all, enjoy it. But just use some common sense when choosing your location, always have an escape route to jump to if the worst does happen.

I'll be out there as well and was also thinking of taking the bike up for Sunday, will depend on how the weather is looking towards the end of the week.

Any knowledge of the two available stages? Riccarton or Elibank?

I might just keep driving to Glentress and do some skids of my own.

didn't know about the recent idiotic behaviour stuff. sad times! I was few hundred metres from the fatal accident at the snowman a few years ago, was pretty sobering.

Thing is, how many mountain bikers have died or been seriously injured, say in the last two years? Could be an argument to not allow that. I seriously don't understand how they can possibly say rallying is worse.

sharkattack, I've been in Riccarton (and Wauchope) more times in the last ten years than I care to remember. The spectator junction on the map is a fast straight into an open hairpin left, quite good views, would have hoped maybe some trees would've been chopped down to improve the view. Depending on the parts being used, you might be able to walk the other direction to a tight 90 degree right junction, with a big deep ditch on the outside.

I've no idea about the Traquair stages as I've not been lucky enough to see them used for rallying, or rather not since walking through the bracken and it was taller than me (that was some time ago - circa 1986!)

If it was drivers getting killed or injured there wouldn't be such an issue, because it is the general viewing public out for a nice day and getting killed/injured/near miss is the problem. I really can see why landowners like the forestry would not want it happening on their land.

I've been going to the snowman rally since I can remember and there is always some kind of dickhead element, wasted people, as well as people that just don't really know what to do and have their kids running across the track in a panic. The marshals and safety car do an excellent job but can't be everywhere and stop people being idiots all the time. I've seen kids running along the track away from approaching cars in a panic, a wasted guy standing in the middle of the track over a blind crest playing chicken with oncoming cars (he was mob lynched when a marshal said he would have to close the stage if he didn't stop it), muppets running over the track at the last minute, etc etc. Now people are obsessed with filming the cars rather than watching they seem to get caught out more easily as they are watching it approach on a screen.

The snowman accident was definitely a freak accident, an element of bad spectator access on that section of stage, and bad luck of people being in the wrong place when something did go wrong and the car lost control. There was nowhere to go on that section as the trees came right down to the edge of the track, I had the fear when we were walking in just in case the course car or 4x4 came early.

A mate of mine competes and is usually fairly near the back of the running, as everyone tends to leave after the fast cars have been through he has to drive through the crowds leaving the stage, think it gives him the fear more than the actual stage rallying itself.

I think the only solution is the tight control of where spectators can view, which is a shame, but better than something terrible happening and rallying ending for everyone including the crews.

didn't know about the recent idiotic behaviour stuff.

There's been some pictures doing the rounds but they're on Facebook so I can't find them/share them. One of a group of lads taking a 'selfie' on a phone with their backs to an oncoming car which is clearly approaching very quickly.

Another of a 'photographer' lying flat on the ground on the outside of a very fast, flat corner with nothing between him and a sliding car except his zoom lens.

They've raised a lot of concerns about complete ignorance on the part of spectators. It seems impossible to keep people safe when they lack such basic levels of awareness.

The spectator junction on the map is a fast straight into an open hairpin left, quite good views, would have hoped maybe some trees would've been chopped down to improve the view. Depending on the parts being used, you might be able to walk the other direction to a tight 90 degree right junction, with a big deep ditch on the outside.

Thanks for the tips. I'll be there unless the weather is horrendous.

Can't find the pics I mentioned but seen a lot of stuff similar to this recently

[img] [/img]

The chap in the foreground isn't much safer!

The chap in the foreground isn't much safer!

Or whoever took that picture!