The racing track is where cars are taken to crazy speeds and hence safety has to be amplified multiple times over. Safety is a huge emphasis in Formula One and many road safety campaigns and initiatives have emerged from it, including one by Allianz.
Allianz, one of the world’s largest financial service and car insurance providers, has a ‘Drive Safely’ campaign that aims to improve road safety via interesting educational videos linking public road safety and the race track.
The series of videos feature the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, including drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, providing advice on safety within the sport and on the road.
In this particular video, Rosberg and Hamilton talk about unsafe release from the pits. This is not uncommon and many teams have suffered heavy penalties from committing this offence. Pit stops are crucial during the race and drivers put complete trust in the team, believing them when they say it’s safe to go.
According to the teams’s chief strategist James Vowles, there are several ways of unsafe release in the pits.
When a driver is in the pit lane, each mechanic is required to push a button to indicate that his corner is finished. It is only when all mechanics have pushed the button that the car is released. If a car is released and the stop is not yet complete, the car is then deemed unsafe and should not be released. Another example is when a car is released into traffic in the fast lane.
An unsafe release in the pits is like people exiting junctions or roundabouts without checking. We need to be more aware of our surroundings, as one thing leads to another. Some people may be distracted and in a moment of carelessness, forget to stop at a stopline or forget to check their blind spots. If you are careful, you will be able to avoid them.
F1 drivers are hence very alert, as any lapse in concentration during a race can be fatal.
Watch the video here:
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