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TRACK DAY
SAFETY
R O A D
T R A C K
R A C E
S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
023
side, whereas in Europe you can
pass on both sides. One roundtable
attendee even shared a shocking fact
with us. She said: “There are some
French organisers that serve lunch
with wine!”
While we all agreed that, as a
whole, UK track days are generally
safe, some are better than others.
One driver said he “didn’t feel safe at
an airfield track day”. Another added
that it was “bandit country”.
Tracks such as Silverstone, how-
ever, work hard to ensure any or-
ganisers using its circuits abide to
rules set out by the Association of
Track Day Organisers (ATDO). This
is a code of conduct that reputa-
ble companies should adhere to,
to ensure the safety of everyone
on track including marshalls and
other staff, not just the drivers.
SILVERSTONE SETTING A
GOOD EXAMPLE
One instructor stated that the
most thorough ARDS test takes
place at Silverstone and it became
clear that this famous British track
is probably one of the safest to
visit on a track day because they
put so much thought into training
staff, guiding organisers and help-
ing newer drivers.
A Silverstone representative
said: “The minimum we recom-
mend (for a race licence) is one full
day learning car control - using
the skid pan etc.” Other places in
the UK will allow you to get a race
licence with slightly less effort,
but a more involved approach will
make you a better driver.
Some countries, however, don’t
require any sort of test to get a