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Spectator Information
Generally access is limited to the Kielder
stages, security personnel and extra locks have been placed on certain
forest and other roads. Spectators are likely to have difficulty getting
to stage by any other way than the defined routes below.
A spectator point has been set up on each
stage (where possible); each has been chosen not only for its
accessibility but also for the viewing.
A small charge for parking is likely at each
location, with agreement with the local forestry office the proceeds for
each is donated to a local good cause, we hope that you will help us
supporting these very good causes in what are normally remote local
communities. Monies are shared with local communities affected by the
eve
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Friday 20 March
| Start & Finish Ramp, Abbey
Place, Jedburgh |
First national A due 19:00
First car due back from 20:41
Get a close up view of the cars & crews before they leave for
the days action in the forests. See the Provost flag the crews
away & listen to the live commentary & interviews with the
drivers.
First car due 19:40
Leave B6357 at MR 80/588073, Follow sign and turn onto grass
field, Park as instructed. A short walk offers a square right
into fast flowing bends. Please remember this stage will be in
the dark so it is advised for your own safety to bring a torch.
| SS2
Sorry no spectator point |
Saturday 21 March
| Start & Finish Ramp, Abbey
Place, Jedburgh |
First car due 08:31
First car due back from 14:05
SS3 and SS4
Sorry no
spectator point |
First car due 11:05
Leave A696 at MR 80/926914, turn right before Elsdon onto the
unclassified “Winter’s Gibbet” road. Enter the forest on the
left where signposted and park in the car park. A fast straight
leads to a square left corner. Catering may be available at this
location, please note, the access road may still be bumpy so
please drive with care.
| SS6 - Sorry no
spectator point |
First car due 13:13
Location as SS1, stage reversed, fast flowing bends into square
left.
ONE LAST NOTE, WOULD YOU
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT AFTER THE SPECTATOR SAFETY VEHICLE HAS
PASSED YOU, THE NEXT CAR WILL BE THE FIRST COMPETITIVE CAR.
PLEASE BE SAFE AND ENJOY THE EVENT
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Hey, let’s be careful out there
If you remember the 1980s TV series Hill Street Blues, you’ll
recall this caution at briefings before the cops went on patrol.
But, because fast cars and pedestrians can be a potentially
dangerous combination it’s also a good motto for safe spectating
on the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally.
Rally fans know there is nothing more exciting than watching
powerful cars scrabbling for grip as drivers fight to shave
tenths of a second off their time over forest tracks. And with
thousands of spectator’s eager to see the thrills and spills on
one of the UK’s most popular rallies, your safety continues to
be our top priority.
The Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally has an excellent safety
record. We want to keep it that way and we want you to enjoy the
action without getting hurt. Our top ten tips for safe
spectating are:
1. Use the official car parks. We work with the police to
provide you with the best routes in and out of special stage car
parks. The cost of parking is also less than ignoring the
roadside No-Parking restrictions.
2. Use the designated spectator areas. They are chosen
with safety and the view of the track in mind, as well as their
closeness to car parks. Some have other facilities such as
toilets, catering and commentary.
3. Wear warm, waterproof clothing and strong footwear.
This is Kielder Forest in March, not summer in the Monaco pit lane,
and the forest tracks can be uneven and slippery.
4. Leave young children and dogs at home.
5. Always obey the marshals and follow the safety code in
the programme and on notices.
6. Stand well back. There is no substitute for distance
between you and a rally car.
7. Stand on high ground, not below the level of the road.
You get a better view and, when gravity takes over, cars fall
down and not up.
8. Never stand in restricted areas, escape roads, or on
the outside of corners. If you do the stage could be delayed or
cancelled.
9. Don’t walk or cycle on the special stage. Even before
the rally cars arrive there are officials and course cars on the
stage.
10. Stay alert at all times. The cars may be travelling
fast but they are no noisier than your own car.
In the 30 minutes before the rally cars start any special stage,
there will be a series of safety cars through each stage. Each
will be looking for people walking on the track, standing too
close, or in run-off areas. “Unless we are satisfied that a
stage can be run safely, it will be cancelled,” says Brick & Steel
Border Counties Rally Chief Safety Officer, Clayton Lackenby. “So
don’t be the one that spoils the fun for everybody by not behaving
sensibly and safely.”
Warning
Motor Sport can be Dangerous
Concept Courtesy of Rallye
Sunseeker |
Safety on Brick & Steel Border Counties
Rally
Please remember what it says on the programme and signs for Brick &
Steel Border Counties Rally,
“Warning – Motor
Sport can be Dangerous”.
Throughout its 29-year history The Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally
has been at the forefront of rally safety. So what does the safety
effort on Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally involve?
Well, it begins immediately after the previous year’s event by agreeing
routes and timings for the rally cars and spectators. Wherever possible,
the rally steers clear of particularly congested points and planned road
works. In addition traffic movements are segregated and avoid right-hand
turns across major traffic flows. On the special stages, Clerk of the
Course, Paul Hughes, in conjunction with Spectator Safety Officer Kevin
Garthwaite, plan the competitive route to provide the best and safest
viewing areas for spectators and minimise the natural hazards to
drivers.
About six months before the rally, Chief Safety Officer, Clayton
Lackenby, reviews the risk assessment for the rally in consultation with
all the senior officials, taking into account the lessons learnt from
the previous year. This covers all the obvious risks, such as spectators
tripping over tent pegs at the Service Areas and tree roots in the
forest, and of rally cars hitting the trees. But it also assesses other
risks such as the safety of spectators, the risks to the stage set-up
crews working in the forests during the week before the event, and to
those officials working in Rally Headquarters.
If you think this is all a bit over the top, let Clayton Lackenby
enlighten you. “Statistically, Rally HQ is the most dangerous place on
the event. More people get referred to hospital following accidents at
rally HQ, including severe lacerations and broken bones, than has ever
happened in the forests. It sounds crazy, but like any workplace, if
people are under pressure accidents happen, however comfortable the
surroundings”.
But for Clayton and Spectator Safety Officer, Kevin Garthwaite, the main
focus of their safety effort is on the stages where the potential for
serious injuries remain highest. Kevin is meticulous in the planning of
the spectator areas. “Just because an area was safe last year doesn’t
mean it’s OK this year”, says Kevin. “Trees grow and others get cut down
so each year is different and I have to reassess where the best places
are for people to watch the action with the least risk to themselves,
and that the routes to them from the car parks are relatively hazard
free. But of course, the safety of individuals is as much in their hands
as ours – they must follow the instructions of officials on duty, obey
all the safety signage we erect and take care when walking on uneven
ground”.
All this pre-planning is translated into a comprehensive safety plan
covering every aspect of the rally because, as Clayton Lackenby
explains, “Despite the safety of the cars and the personal protection of
the rally crews, incidents happen and we need to be able to respond to
emergencies quickly, whatever their nature”.
On every special stage there is always at least one doctor or paramedic,
a specially equipped rally rescue ambulance and a vehicle recovery unit,
all crewed by highly trained volunteers who are skilled in treating and
extracting casualties trapped in rally cars. On longer stages there are
additional doctors, rescue units and recovery units mid way through the
stage. The aim is to get them to the scene of an incident within
minutes. In fact, there will be a total of at least 9 doctors and
paramedics supported by more than 30 specialist rescue crew, another 20
or more first-aid trained recovery unit personnel, and St John Ambulance
First Aid units whose main job is to provide first aid facilities for
spectators. And in reserve are the county ambulance and air ambulance,
already fully briefed on rendezvous points and landing sites.
The overall man in charge of Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally is
Clerk of the Course Paul Hughes who is full of praise for these
specialist crews, “The rescue and other safety personnel are absolutely
vital for the safe running of the rally. Just like the hundreds of
marshals and event officials, these highly skilled people are
volunteers. What’s more, rescue crews will have spent as much, if not
more, on buying and equipping their vehicles than many of the rally
crews”.
Ensuring that if an incident happens the medical and safety teams can
get there quickly is a network of radio crews tracking vehicles through
the stages. They are in contact with the radio controller and can
call-in medical and other specialist back up, usually within seconds of
an incident happening.
It’s a huge undertaking involving hundreds of skilled volunteers, but on
the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally hopes is always in the
background and almost invisible to spectators. “By the time the rally
starts, 90% of my job is done”, says Clayton Lackenby. “All the
specialist safety and medical crews are in the right place to deal with
any incident on the rally and the police, county ambulance, fire service
and local hospitals are fully briefed and ready to provide support if
needed.”
Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally’s safety record is, in part, a
result of the organising team’s focus on trying to minimise the risks to
all concerned. They want to keep it that way so that we can all continue
to enjoy one of Kielder Forests most spectacular motor sport events.
But, they are also aware of the potential for serious incidents to
happen. One thing you can be sure off though is that the Brick & Steel
Border Counties Rally is well equipped to handle those incidents if they
do occur.
Concept Courtesy of Rallye
Sunseeker
Webmaster -
webmaster@bordercountiesrally.co.uk |
John Parker Associates
Motorsport Management
& Promotion
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