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No response ASSE repeats call for NASCAR safety committee
By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com The world's oldest and largest society of safety experts is repeating its call on NASCAR to set up a safety committee. In a March 16 letter to NASCAR president Mike Helton, the American Society for Safety Engineers offered its safety engineers, scientists and medical experts to supplement efforts already underway. Earlier this year, the 32,000-member organization expressed concern following three racing deaths in 2000 and urged NASCAR to implement stronger safety measures to prevent future fatalities. ASSE officials felt the sanctioning-body didn't seriously consider its recommendations, which came a month before Dale Earnhardt was killed in the Daytona 500. As of Tuesday, they had not heard from Helton or NASCAR on their latest offer, and declined comment until receiving a response.
"I'm not in the practice of discussing correspondence that has been forwarded to me," Helton said when asked about the ASSE letter. NASCAR's position on safety has been that its doors are always open to drivers and crew members, and of being comfortable with the expertise available in the garage area. After the death of Earnhardt, however, several drivers encouraged the formation of a safety committee. NASCAR spokesman John Griffin said nothing has been done to advance the idea. Asked if it remained a possibility or had been dismissed, Griffin said: "I don't think it's either or." Drivers supportive of considering a safety committee, like Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon, have gone out of their way praising the research and efforts of NASCAR. But, in general, they feel the responsibility for keeping them safe shouldn't weigh so heavily on one group. "I don't think the drivers can do it by themselves and I don't think NASCAR can do it by themselves," Burton said. "I believe in my heart they want it to be safe, so we need to come together a little bit and do something that's a little bit different than what we've seen in NASCAR. "We need to include the owners, the drivers, the sponsors, the sanctioning body, the manufacturers -- everybody. Let's get together and work together to try and help a problem that we obviously have." In his letter on behalf of the ASSE, president Samuel Gualardo notes the association includes members with racing experience and others who work as safety experts for many of the NASCAR team sponsors, adding that an outside set of eyes could prove beneficial. "This committee could not only provide new insights into technical developments now available but introduce you to some concepts and ideas that are yet undeveloped that may lead to protecting drivers, fans and crew members," Gualardo writes. Gualardo mentions 30 million people having witnessed Earnhardt's fatal crash, while noting that like numbers could improve their own personal safety attitudes in the wake of future safety advances made by NASCAR.
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