A 20-year-old racer lost his life during an Open track race day for aspirational bikers, which was organized by Coimbatore Racing Academy at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, on Sunday.
J Nandakumar, 20, an avid biker, lost control of his bike while taking on a corner. This resulted in the bike flipping (highside)
A staffer at Kari Motor Speedway stated that such accidents are rare. Tarun has regularly been holding such practice sessions at the track and followed stringent safety regulations while senior racer, Vidya Prakash was shocked when told about the incident. A case of accidental death was registered under section 174 of CrPC while the body of Nandakumar was handed over to his parents later on Sunday evening.
Sources: Bike racer, 20, dies on track, parents to sue helmet firm - Times of India
Yamaha R15 rider dies on the Kari Motor Speedway, parents to sue helmet company - Twinkle Torque
--
Guys, please note few points regarding this accident:-
1. The exact details of the crash haven't yet surfaced, except that the helmet cracked, which is how helmets are made:- they absorb damage so that the rider's head remains safe.
2. Although the crash was reported to be a "highside", which is often severely damaging to the rider, its still a shock that on a relatively slow circuit like Kari, a 130 kmph bike like Yamaha R15 caused such a fatal crash, specially the cracked helmet.
3. The MT Axxis helmet is DOT and ECE certified. However, its SNELL certification details are not available. Its worth mentioning that MT Blade, a helmet from the same brand, did get a 3 star rating from SNELL Foundation. SNELL foundation also has a history that started with a helmet failure...
4. Rider error like improper tightening can be ruled out, because the shell itself broke. But the helmet manufacturers recommend that the helmet MUST be replaced after a crash, because any impact does make shell weaker than a new one. Its not yet clear if the helmet was subjected to a previous impact or not, or what objects were involved in this crash.
The commmon biker is now a bit fearful, but it does raise a question that, is it a one off incident? Could it be due to an unavoidable physical situation, that is not likely to repeat again?
And lastly, bikers using MT helmets with higher displacement and much faster bikes, what's their frame of mind right now? Will they still write this off as a one time freak accident, or do they have a genuine reason to fear?
Do share your responses below, but sanely and non-judgmentally, and in the light of the available information....




Comment