Spectators-RAC International Rally

Sir,

With spectators risking their own and the lives of competitors, by jumping out of the way at the last moment and standing in dangerous positions it is lucky that only four spectators ended up in hospital during this year’s RAC Rally.

If this lunacy is allowed to continue, it must only be a question of time before a large fatality happens, jeopardising forestry rallying and spectating in our country.

The spectators should be policed by security guards or the police themselves, not by marshals whose job should be to guard the safety of competitors who leave the road or block the stage itself. The manpower in the policing of spectators, should be paid for, out of nominal entry fees into the forests themselves. It appears that crowds are outgrowing the forests themselves with the growth of rallying as a spectator sport. To overcome this problem and to ensure that only safe vantage points are used, the Forestry Commission should be asked to open more forests for spectating, after all they do collect enough money (perhaps far too much) to ensure that they provide the facilities requested by today’s demand.

For everybody’s sake will someone please take action now.

Otley C. RICHARD JACKSON