California 200 and other races foster dangerous 'Mad Max' atmosphere, critics say

Environmental groups Sunday faulted federal authorities for allegedly failing to monitor the safety of Mojave Desert events such as the California 200 –- an off-road race in which eight people died when a vehicle crashed into onlookers.

Environmental groups said they have long complained that the Bureau of Land Management, which issued permits for the race in the Lucerne Valley area Saturday, lacks the adequate staff and ability to regulate off-roading events that attract large crowds.

“The feds have allowed a 'Mad Max' atmosphere to develop with too many people and too many machines crammed into too little space,” said Kieran Suckling, director of the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit environmental protection group.  “The feds don't have the resources, and apparently not the interest, to regulate off-road vehicles properly.”

Saturday’s crash was tragic, but inevitable, Suckling said.

“You can’t put these huge crowds together with fast and powerful machines and not expect these kinds of accidents,” he said.  “Our collective failure to rein in excessive off-road vehicle use is not only destroying the ecosystem but killing people. The federal government clearly does not have the manpower to sufficiently organize and regulate these events, and if you don’t have the manpower to do it safely, you shouldn’t be doing it at all.”

 Saturday’s accident occurred just after dusk, as a crowd of onlookers pushed to the edge of the racing route at the bottom of “the rock pile,” a jump along the twisting race route. According to the California Highway Patrol, driver Brett M. Sloppy, 28, lost control of his modified 2000 Ford Ranger while he was driving 45 to 50 miles per hour, and collided with spectators.

The 200-mile race is one in a series of such competitions in the Soggy Dry Lake area of the Mojave Desert, roughly 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
 
The Bureau of Land Management did not respond to criticism from environmentalists Sunday. But the agency said the Mojave Desert Racing Assn., which received the permit to stage the race, promised to have a private ambulance service on the scene and warned Barstow Community Hospital in advance that it planned to hold the event. The event was insured for up to $2 million.

“We will go over the permit with a fine-tooth comb and make sure that they complied with everything and see whether the application needs to be modified in the future,” said David Briery, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management. “Obviously, we don’t want anything like this to ever happen again.”

The bureau charged the company a $95 fee for Saturday’s race, plus an additional $5 for each spectator. The sponsor of the race has been staging events on federally owned stretches of the Mojave Desert for at least 11 years, holding six races each year, Briery said.

Tom Budlong, a member of the Sierra Club’s desert committee in Los Angeles, said federal authorities, particularly the Bureau of Land Management, failed to properly control events in the face of aggressive off-roading proponents.

“They just haven’t shown the fortitude,” Budlong said. “Off-roaders have a lot of clout, there are a lot of them and they like to do what they like to do.”

Budlong said Saturday’s accident should prompt a review and increased regulation.

“There needs to be a better permitting system, an educational component and drivers need to be licensed for off-roading events so that repeat offenders can be fined. There needs to be basic population control whenever these activities occur.”

-- Carla Rivera and David Zahniser

Related:

Driver in California 200 crash says he is 'devastated'

California 200 and other races foster dangerous 'Mad Max' atmosphere, critics say

Driver in California 200 crash identified by authorities

3 Escondido men among 8 killed in California 200 crash
 
California 200 tragedy: Past race videos show spectators dangerously close to racing vehicles

Witnesses describe horrific scene of California 200 crash that killed eight

Spectators killed in California 200 race 'didn't have much of a chance,' CHP says

8 dead, 12 hurt as vehicle plows into crowd at race in San Bernardino County

Comments

[Charles Patterson]

The most asenine quote coming out of this enviro-zealots mouth was this "Our collective failure to rein in excessive off-road vehicle use." Right, we haven't done enough to curb "excessive off-road vehicle use." There are only a small number of places like Lucerne Valley that allow OHV use in California. There's a reason you won't see "excessive off-road vehicle" use when you drive from L.A. to Yosemite, or L.A. to Mammoth, because it's been pretty much banned everywhere. These enviro groups really have no business chiming in on this because this is about public safety, not endangered animal species. It's a guarantee that, if the CBD suceeds and gets OHV use banned in places like Lucerne, the BLM will allow the land to become lost to some commercial interest because NOBODY other than OHV'ers will use these lands. Non-use is the biggest danger to public lands. The military has already been planning on grabbing Lucerne Valley and making it off-limits for some time. Thanks to the eniviro-wankers whining all the time, looks like the Army will get their land.

[tominla]

Why is the sierra club concerned? None of their members attended.

[JOE]

SO..... TELL ME ...

Why is a Environmental group so worried about the Mojave Desert event. Its not about the People !!!!!

They see this as an oppurtinity to stop all off road events ! The Eco-nazi Enviromental groups want all of us to stay off all land, Well evry one but them.
And as far as the "MAD-MAX" Atmosphere Well thats typical of the (LEFT) L.A. TIMES !!!!!!

"NO DISASTER SHALL GO TO WASTE"

This ie the moto of the LEFT!

[John McNary]

Ban them ALL.

These ATV idiots are loud, dust-creating, lawless and usually drunk and fat.

Part of me says let the Darwin Principle continue to weed out the gene pool.

Fact: the man-child at the wheel of that monster truck killed 8 people in what was a foreseeable event that was the direct outcome of his willful actions. That is the textbook definition of second degree murder in California.

I am sad to see 8 people-- some of them probably children -- die in such stupid, wanton manslaughter. I pray that this tragedy results in an end to the goons raping our common property.

[Chris W.]

People are sick they go to these type of events to see horsepower demonstrated and the possibility of witnessing a wreck. It's gladiator style entertainment and once in a while the lions escape and eat a few spectators. The Envoironmentalists are no different and I bet you half the crowd also supports the Sierra club. Great efforts are made to put on these events and safety is a majour focus unfortunately stuff happens that is unforseeable and the lions escape. What is not needed are dumb statements by turtle lovers that have no bearing on the events and how they are planned and held.

[me.yahoo.com/a/JoNM6KshtcbQUV.85HZKfeOu_2Wjmw--]

I don't know who to blame more -- the environmentalists who are so base as to sensationalize this tragedy to push their own agenda or the Times staffers who push this to the front of the website to get more hits. This isn't "full coverage", it's tangential coverage that pushes an unrelated agenda. You all should be ashamed for doing it.

[IvanG]

Very simple way for spectators to protect themselves: Don't attend these asinine activities.

[Olivia Cox]

I am pretty sure from a very young age we are warned to not get to close to the track... We also know the danger that comes with any racing from nascar to desert trucks such as this... Why is it that these people feel safe to stand that close to a track with vehicles RACING!!! You dont stand on the side of the freeway when you break down you pull as far off the road as possible. So as deeply as I am saddened for these people that lost their lives I think it is comletely wrong to blame it on the racer, race or any other person for that matter. And as far as for these damn enviromentalist we move all the way up to the desert so we can race and do outdoor sports such as this... So unless you would like us to go racing down your nice little residential street I suggest you leave what little land we have left to ride open!!!

[a i]

darwin award recipients.

Let them race. Cleans out the gene pool for the rest of us.

[IvanG]

It is very easy to avoid injury: Don't attend these foolish events.

[Tom]

Environmental idiots distort everything. Off road racing is a dangerous sport, true, so is so many other forms of racing. Another attack by the liberal left and a tacky illinformed article.

[Tom]

Environmental idiots distort everything. Off road racing is a dangerous sport, true, so is so many other forms of racing. Another attack by the liberal left and a tacky illinformed article.

[robert pickering]

What a joke! Environmentalist will not be happy unless they get all the land closed. Such a tragedy but it was just an accident! This is the last land area use for OHV that we have. They have already had all the other land taken away. Mad Max, we are driving $400K race vehicles out there. Not some thing that has been piece together. Give me a break and try to find something to protect that needs protection!

[Prescott Bush]

When is the next event?

[Laura Zuber]

While it is a horrible tragedy that there was a terrible accident, environmental groups should not use this as another chance to siphon off more of public desert land. One should be allowed to assume some risk, and that's exactly what these people did. Keep our deserts open to OHV use and let the users decide what constitutes safe use.

[Doug]

The surest way to bring this sort of juvenile, alcohol-and-testosterone driven nonsense under control without creating new laws or a bureaucracy to enforce them is a good old-fashioned all-American multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the sponsors, the driver, and anyone else responsible.

[Pat]

I hope this situation doesn't become another lawmakers time to turn it into something bad and screw everyone who enjoys time in the outdoors and try and take it away.
We are loosing our freedoms everyday to these idiots, eventually we won't be able to walk outdoors to enjoy what little life we have left.

[Donald Kidd]

Too bad this moronic news organization can't get past their polital bent and actually report the news, rather than spewing forth such nonsense. This was an accident.

[paintball barrels]

This crash was a tragedy, but how the @#$@ is it an "environmental" problem?

[agent]

WEIRD.....They call themselves liberals yet all they want to do is take away peoples freedoms. The desert heals itself naturally. Pretty soon it'll be like..Don't walk in the desert because you'll startle the red tailed fart barker. Damn control freaks!

[Joseph]

Charles is correct.

Also, at what point do we put the blame on the spectators? Rally racing is notorious for having spectators very close to the action. However, you'll also notice that the spectators are usually a little more careful about where they place themselves.

If this sort of activity was so inevitable why doesn't it happen more?

Fact is these spectators stand this close because they like the thrill. It is thrilling to stand close to a machine going 50mph past you, but it's stupid to not be more cognizant of where you are standing.

[Amanda]

Well stated Charles!

These extremists need to not lose sight of the tragedy and facts at hand! People have lost their lives in a terrible ACCIDENT. It is very unfortunate that these extremists are going to take advantage of a tragedy like this in an attempt to take away the last bit of desert available to OHV'ers and put an end to a sport so many enjoy. I hope that people will consider the EXCELLENT safety track record of this sport and the facts prior to forming opinions. Unfortunately, this article really shows you what kind of people we are dealing with.

Those of us in the off-road community are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our love goes out to the drivers, victims, families, friends, witnesses and everyone involved.

[Dennis Peterson]

Its funny not 24 hours after a tradegy , the liberal sierra club would take a swing for there agenda ."mad max" ????? Last time i checked mad max didnt have 500,000 dollar vehicles that were entered in a offroad series. The La times fails to mention how many off road races that our raced out in so cal deserts a year without a hitch . It is a tradegy that will always burn in the back of offroaders minds but we dont shut down the freeways when there is a 30 car pile up on the pass . We need to take something away from this and move on and remember what led up to this .

[Slo86GT]

It's an adrenaline sport. What causes adrenaline in a motorsports event? Danger. What does danger cause? Accidents. Deaths. Casualties.

These events have been going on in much the same way WORLD WIDE since the internal combustion engine was invented. The activists and other naysayers want this to be a perfect world where everyone drives boring hybrids and minds the rules. It's is FAR from a safe world because of the human spirit to break the rules, have fun, experience thrills. People who look for fun are often looking for dangerous things and there is no way to make dangerous into safe 100% of the time.

It was an accident, it happens, new rules come from the experience. Even thinking of banning motor sports events because of an accident that's happened thousands of times in the past is asinine. I'm sure every one of these people would agree with me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_racing_drivers_who_died_in_racing_crashes

[Tim]

people that got hurt knew that standing 10 feet from track could get your a$$ ran over. You wont catch me standing that close to any race. What the dif standing on side of freeway? The freeway prob safer.