Haven't seen this issue raised here before (or at least can't find any threads).....

What is the overall concensus among autox veterans out there regarding their liability each and ever day they drive in autox? If for example, your best friend is your passenger, and by chance of bad luck or poor driving, you crash and you or your passenger gets hurt....the medical bills can skyrocket....and your best friend might not be so after its all said and done...

I've noticed that many drivers dismiss this because they are "too skilled to crash". ..................Anything can happen on any given day

If anyone has given this some thought....are they any carriers out there who would cover you for autox specifically? Or, do you just "chance it"?

thanks

 

At an SCCA event you and your passenger are covered.

Your car is not.

 

If you have accumulated any matter of wealth it is recommended to have a 1 mil umbrella policy to cover the uncoverables.

 

On the SCCA events, I didn't know that the SCCA will cover you and any passenger. I normally run in the local BMWCCA or PCA events. I know that these clubs carry insurance, but only to cover the club and the event organizers....in case of disaster or lawsuits. They "might" cover a passenger or bystander if the driver's primary coverage won't. My guess is they will fight every step of the way though.

Are you saying that the SCCA will actually cover all drivers for medical, no questions asked (within reason), if there's an accident?

 

The SCCA will cover MEMBER's medical for anything that happens at a sanctioned event. That is one of the benefits of membership. While not very likely to be needed for Solo, it is far more possible to come into play for Club Racing or rally.

The SCCA coverage will take care of anything that your regular health insurance doesn't, including deductible.

Check out scca.org for more info.

Scott
90STX

 

Most of the veterans have seen a few crashes. 99% of those could NEVER injure a person. Having seen two car on car collisions in five years, I think I've seen the worst at an autocross (aside from cars hitting people), and I'm still not concerned.

The simple answer is yes, the SCCA liability insurance is there for members, and also non-members (just not as much $). When you sign the waiver agreement upon entrance to the event, you are covered under the liability insurance. If you're not signing an agreement, it shouldn't be an SCCA sanctioned event.

If your region isn't running safe events and following SCCA guidelines, say something about it. After one incident locally, the committee will not allow course designs to even begin to lend itself to that situation. There's no stopping the idiot with a lot of power who keeps their foot in it, but as a driver YOU have most of the control.

So, the answer is, in the very rare occasion that you could get hurt, you're not "chancing" it.

Brian Garfield
WDCR SCCA Solo II
Novice Coordinator

 

In one metopolitan area, at a particular venue used by the SCCA, there were two major accidents within a span of 10 months with both cars being completely totaled, with medical injuries. Neither event was an SCCA sanctioned event. However in the first case, it was an SCCA course design used by another national sports car club. The second accident occured at a nationally sanctioned autox school. In both cases, the drivers ran into a concrete light pole base that was supposed to be "out of harms way".

In both cases, the fingers of blame were quick to point to the drivers. Almost too quick. Of course there was no way the event organizers would accept any responsibility for what might have been a dangerous layout. They were quick to run for cover.

I've also seen over a period of five years at another venue, at least half a dozen significantly damaged vehicles with a few very close calls of cars running into people (and even into the scorer's tent - people had to get up and run). At this same venue about 5 years ago, a course worker was in fact hit by an out of control car (fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt).

Yet, novice drivers, having never witnessed any accidents, leap into these events because they are so much fun, and dismiss the risks as a result. Yes, statistics are on your side, all it takes is one time.

 

I've witnessed two accidents in my 6 years of autocrossing. The first was at a non-SCCA sanctioned autocross and was purely the result of 'redmist', the driver ran out of talent and went up over a curb into grass.

The second was at Nationals, and it was painfully clear who was at fault.

I've also seen countless near misses when novices, thinking they are the ***** and too good to walk to course get lost and find themselves heading right towards another car. Who is at fault for that?

This accident at a sanctioned autocross school, did the course meet the scca safety requirements?

People get too comfortable autocrossing, a false sense of security. While 9 times out of 10 you can drive past the limit and the only consequence is flat-spotted tires or a few cone marks. People, even those with experience , start thinking they can 'save' a spin or a slide, or bring the car back under control. This is the problem, hero drivers that don't do both feet in and instead go careening off course towards solid objects or course workers.

One of the first lessons my father taught me during my first season of autocrossing was to always go 'both feet in' if I lose control.