Confession by Justin Everitt
Đặng Thị Thu
1:08 AM
Accident
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accidents
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APDI
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F1
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guy Edwards
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insurance
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Justin Everitt
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maria devillota
Confession Time
Well having written a few articles for our esteemed magazine now and explained just a little about the boutique world of motorsport insurance there comes a time when I of course feel it is necessary to lead by example so here goes, I am in a minority of amateur race licence holders who is actually insured while they race. Yes, that means if my life should take a nasty turn and I end up in a wheelchair, some unfortunate insurance company has their wallet lightened within a matter of days. Confessions are always hard but I am indeed feeling better about it already.
For some reason when I have raced in the past I have actually done relatively little to tell my competitors about the sensible precaution of insuring oneself when competing. Maybe I have wanted to avoid a reputation for flogging something nobody wants, fearful of being a bore and becoming "that bloody insurance guy". Maybe some speak of me like that in any event, but even I resent spending money on insurance. I don't insure my gadgets or the cat or myself for most normal things because I find additional paperwork irritating and don't have the time to find out all the exclusions on what I consider trivial policies. Many would disagree of course, but that is my choice. I do however have a completely different view when it comes to scenarios that are life changing and where there is no recovery from. So I do take out critical illness cover, travel insurance for medical expenses and I do insure myself in case of a life changing injury.when I am racing.
The chances I might get killed or seriously injured are of course remote and statistically speaking I don’t anticipate I will be part of the 2.4 deaths British motorsport throws up each year and in any event Brands is pretty safe with it’s gravel traps. I do however recall seeing Jacques Laffite crashing at the top of Paddock Hill bend the last time a Grand Prix was run at the circuit.
Poor John Surtees who did manage to survive one of the most dangerous periods of motor racing himself had to endure witnessing the death of his own son in one of the freakiest accidents I have ever seen on a circuit. The point is we never know when the anti-lottery will strike any of us. Motor racing has become so much safer that everyone believes it will happen to someone else and when it does, invariably the stricken wife and family seek to blame the hapless circuit or governing body. The effect of foolhardiness and blame culture is doing only one thing – undermining the very governing body that is trying to promote the sport. That is just crazy!
For my part, I certainly don’t want my name added to the list of drivers accidents at Brands that are talked about in the years ahead – especially if I am not around to hear the chatter. In a survey recently it was discovered that there is a considerable disparity in the premiums offered – fourfold in one case, but suffice to say, given the costs of tyres, race entries and my own licence my premium rather pales into insignificance.
I suppose at this particular moment in time I am just that much more sensitive to race drivers just not being there any more. Recently Snetterton has endured the death of an experienced historic race driver, Maria de Villota’s untimely passing has saddened everyone in F1 not least because that is not supposed to be the way a racing driver departs this world, but I am more shocked right now by the sudden death of Guy Edwards son, Sean who was instructing in Australia. He was just the passenger at the time.
Part of my commitments is to the newly formed APDI – Association of Performance Driving Instructors. Another “old” name from the F1 Paddock – Mike Wilds (Sorry Mike) acts as Ambassador to the association which has come about not least to address the safety of race instructors. This would seem a lessor need than our F1 drivers of today perhaps, but it just underlines the fact motorsport is dangerous or as I am starting now to say to my fellow competitors – Motorsport REALLY is dangerous and guess what – it REALLY can happen to YOU.
With just a few days to go I am looking forward to the half hour race this coming Sunday. Brands was the first circuit I drove on, the first I raced on, the first pole position was at Brands and my first win at Brands came almost thirty years later – which might suggest why I never formed part of an F1 grid – but 130mph is still the same speed no matter what the car. The laws of physics are no different and fate has little respect for sentiment or past survival. Sorry to be the boring insurance guy.