Safety Belt
Volume 20, Issue 2 (2Q 2016)
Welcome
By John Lieberman, Editor
Hey, everybody! It's us again – your friendly neighborhood Solo Safety Committee – with another thrilling issue of the Safety Belt.
Can you believe this year is almost half-over already? Won't be long and we'll be finalizing our plans to head off to Lincoln, again, for another week on the concrete beach (or whatever they choose to call it this year).
Your SSC has been busy this year and we hope to share with you some of the things we’ve been doing in this issue. So sit back, relax, and let us inform you.
Solo Safety Committee April 19 Call Notes
By David Steger, SSC Chairman
With most areas of the country just beginning their Solo seasons, the bulk of our time was dedicated to an update on K&K insurance items and new waiver policies. Several normal items do need review.
First is course safety. A recent head-on vehicle to vehicle incident reminds us all to place special emphasis on proximity. In this case, car 2 was entering a turn as Car 1 exited, missed the next gate, but not car 2. Focus on release times to allow competitors time to clear an area when vehicles may pass in close proximity.
Several regions have lost sites because of neighborhood complaints about noise and behavior. Often the offenders are not SCCA Soloists, but those who are offended by our sport do not care to distinguish differences. Always be a good neighbor, and take every opportunity to connect with site owner/ operators and local community representatives about how SCCA rules promote event safety.
Street Survivor is a great way to build community relations and contribute to and promote safe driving.
We are beginning a review of the articles and items in Solo Downloads and File Cabinet. Anyone with comments or suggestions please send them to David Steger, SSC Chair, at SEDivSSS@gmail.com.
The test of our Power Point Solo Safety Course went well. Thanks to Mark Andy and Kathy Barnes for hosting it. Next is a west coast class, followed by a NE Region class, probably in June. The SSC used GoToWebinar for our meeting for group practice, and agrees it is an easy format for classes. Doug Gill is the contact to schedule a webinar time.
A review of K&K policies, led by Doug Gill, dealt mostly with waiver policy. We may continue to use existing stocks of annual, minor and event waivers this season. New waivers should be printable in color from the SCCA Insurance Forms page. Specific waivers apply to California, New York and Florida for 2017.
Annual waivers may now be signed by a SOLO official, described as any one holding the title or performing the duties ascribed to a National Event Chief; i.e., Chief or Waivers or a regional Solo Chair/Ops Steward. All annual waivers will expire December 31, but renewals may be submitted in October (90 days in advance) for the next year. For this 2016 transition year, annual waivers will expire on your anniversary date, and must be renewed for the balance of 2016.
Minor waivers will be handled by the National office, which will issue a hard card. All competitor minors, and any minor entering a "hot" area, must have both parents/guardians sign their waiver. Single parent signatures are good only for spectator areas for one event.
Event waivers are not required by K&K for admission to a site when a system of restricted access is used for entry to the grid and the course, but regions may continue to require them. Spectator insurance is always included for events and applies whether waivers are signed or not. All competitors, including passengers, must sign a waiver, and must be SCCA members. Weekend memberships do count.
Don't Forget to Log It
By John Lieberman, Editor
We've mentioned this before, but we would like to remind you again that you can now log your Solo Safety Steward participation and training taken/taught on the SCCA website. You can do this in "Solo Safety Participation" on your "Profile Page" after you login.
Why should you do this? Well, for starters, it helps you keep track of the events you've worked and the training you’ve taken or taught. But, more importantly, it sets the stage for all of us to, eventually, be able to renew our SSS licenses online without having to snail-mail or email them to Topeka. The Club Racing folks can already renew their licenses online by logging their participation and we're hoping to make it possible for our Solo Safety folks to do the same. But we can't do it without your help and cooperation. So, if you're not already doing it, please start logging all of your participation on the website.
REMINDER! Transition SSS Licensing Policy for 2016
By David Steger, SSC Chairman
There is no 1 year license available for new or renewing Safety Stewards in 2016.
For 2016 only, those SSS holding a 1 year license may renew for 3 years with the 2 required events in 1 year, but no refresher course, as previously required for 1 year renewal. The SSC is treating a 1 year with 2 events worked as equal to the new Safety Steward 3 year license which requires 2 shadow events. The 1 year license acts as your new/renewing 3 year course requirement.
Send all transition renewals to your Divisional Safety Steward for approval. Membership / licensing will renew a qualified 1 year as a 3 year. All renewing 3 year licenses require the refresher course.
Wrap-Up
By John Lieberman, Editor
Well, that's a wrap for this issue but we'll be back with another one in just a few weeks. Until then, we'd like to hear from you. If you have a safety issue that you’d like us to address, please let us know. If you have a safety-related article that you would like to write, bring it on! We'd love to hear from you.
Until next we meet, go fast – have fun – but BE SAFE!
