Pulling a racer from the car is only possible in two cases
Another rule that every spectator must know is related to helping the crew in an accident. It is possible to pull a person out of a wrecked car only when the car is on fire or sinking. In no other case can you touch the crew members left in the car after the accident – only the medics, who are probably already on their way to the scene from the start, can do that.
“If we are talking about simple assistance related to the car, then outside spectator assistance to the participants is prohibited. More than once, participants were disqualified for this. If we are talking about situations where the crew is injured, medical assistance is needed, under no circumstances should you touch the victims. They may have suffered various injuries during the accident, and only medics can lift them out of the cars, unfasten seat belts, remove neck and head protection systems, and helmets. Otherwise, there is a risk of further damage, because it is not clear what those injuries are.
Paramedics working in the rally are trained in how to remove neck protection, how to remove helmets. This, by the way, cannot be done by one person. The helmet is removable in two parts. There are also special instructions on how to get the rider out of the sports seat correctly. We understand that people get an adrenaline rush, that viewers want to help the victims, but it is strictly forbidden to do so. The consequences of this can be irreversible. There have been cases when the racers themselves asked the spectators to leave after the accident and not to try to help them,” said Darius Šileikis.
Operational management of situations – only at the rally headquarters As Darius Šileikis says, rally spectators should not forget the 112 phone number during the competition, not only in case of an accident. Even in the event of a conflict or incident among the spectators, if someone’s health is compromised, the nearest safety officer should be contacted first, who are placed every few hundred meters on the track and they must first be informed about the situation.
And as soon as the information received by the security officer reaches the competition control center, one or another action will be taken. Darius Šileikis says that recently, a police representative has been working in the competition management center together with the competition manager and specialists controlling the medical and fire brigade. It is for this reason that even conflicts or disturbances in the audience should not be reported by calling 112. When such situations occur, it is also appropriate to contact a security guard, and simply film the conflict itself on the phone, so that those who violated public order will be held accountable later. Upon receiving information about the ongoing conflict, the competition management center will immediately take steps to control the situation. “It can often be the case that some incident will happen to the viewer for the first time in his life and he will not really know how to act. However, we at the Competition Management HQ deal with a variety of situational patterns at every competition and we have a solution for everything. So, again, please do not under any circumstances call 112. Because the police will drive to the scene crossing any stop signs and put themselves in danger again. Contact a security officer. Each security employee has his own identification number, telephone. He will contact the judges at the start and let them know what the situation is and what help is needed. After receiving this information, the headquarters will then coordinate the services on how to promptly resolve the situation without disrupting the sports channel or interrupting the speedway.
Various unexpected situations, not necessarily conflicts or incidents, are constantly dealt with. It’s not always that someone drives cars onto a track just because they want to do it maliciously. Sometimes people need to go to the hospital, someone needs to go to relatives. We have had a situation where people were going to a farmhouse to celebrate a wedding, and the farmhouse was near the speedway and the road was closed. So we solved that issue without any grudges. This is an inevitable part of the rally, as the rally takes place in a large radius around the area, so all kinds of incidents happen. But everything needs to be decided through the competition management headquarters, through the security staff, and not through 112,” said Darius Šileikis.
