heard about richard hammond!!!!!!!!!

[nopanic - neil]

According to sky news, this was the motor he was in.


 
             

[Nobby Diesel]

Very sorry for the little shinny toothed one.
Hopefully, he will make a good recovery.

Have to say though, TG has looked like a disaster waiting to happen over the last few seasons.

I am continually surprised that they get away with some of the strokes they pull.

It wasn't too long ago that Noel Tidy Beards bungee jump went wrong. I would have thought that the H&S department at the BBC would have reined TG in a bit.
As previously stated, these guys are tv presenters, not stunt men or racing drivers.

All said and done, regards to RH and his family.

Fingers are firmly crossed.

[knetter]

Hope he gets well soon, it would be a shame if he is no longer able to blow up caravans!

[Steve TTTD]

What is amazing is the low standard of reporting that has been applied to this..The BBC Breakfast news presenter this moring, describing the whole thing as a 'Stunt', which implies a lack of preparedness, then they interview a guy from 'Fast Car' magazine who procedes to describe a Jet Dragster.. (Something that he has obviously never seen) as 'Inherently unstable and something that you just hang onto and try to keep going in a straight line' Driving into work and they interviwed Quentin Wilson on the radio who said, 'What you have to understand about this type of 'rocket' (his word not mine) powered car is that the track at the front is really narrow to cut down on the wind resistance so the steering is not what it could be and when something goes wrong you have no control and are just an accident waiting to happen' Have news researchers never heard of the likes of Martin Hill, Roger Goring or even Ronnie Picardo who have driven these things for years and could at least give some kind of informed opinion rather than spouting rubbish about something they know nothing about. Or is it just sloppy? Another observation.... Steve Irwin, Killed by a Stingray making a wildlife program.....  The reporting is all about how tragic it was and what a great man he was... Richard Hammond, Injured while driving a Jet Car.....  The reporting is about how inherently dangerous it is and there are phone in shows about 'Why do people feel the need to take risks like this and isn't life more precious than that'

[Piglet]

Fingers crossed and my thoughts are with him and his wife and two little girls.  What a dreadful time they must be going through 

[Andy Zarse]

What is amazing is the low standard of reporting that has been applied to this..The BBC Breakfast news presenter this moring, describing the whole thing as a 'Stunt', which implies a lack of preparedness, then they interview a guy from 'Fast Car' magazine who procedes to describe a Jet Dragster.. (Something that he has obviously never seen) as 'Inherently unstable and something that you just hang onto and try to keep going in a straight line' Driving into work and they interviwed Quentin Wilson on the radio who said, 'What you have to understand about this type of 'rocket' (his word not mine) powered car is that the track at the front is really narrow to cut down on the wind resistance so the steering is not what it could be and when something goes wrong you have no control and are just an accident waiting to happen' Have news researchers never heard of the likes of Martin Hill, Roger Goring or even Ronnie Picardo who have driven these things for years and could at least give some kind of informed opinion rather than spouting rubbish about something they know nothing about. Or is it just sloppy? Another observation.... Steve Irwin, Killed by a Stingray making a wildlife program.....  The reporting is all about how tragic it was and what a great man he was... Richard Hammond, Injured while driving a Jet Car.....  The reporting is about how inherently dangerous it is and there are phone in shows about 'Why do people feel the need to take risks like this and isn't life more precious than that'

Steve I could not have put it better myself. The Breakfast Show on BBC1 made me so angry I got up early!

Ten out of ten mate.

[Nobby Diesel]

Richard Hammond, Injured while driving a Jet Car.....  The reporting is about how inherently dangerous it is and there are phone in shows about 'Why do people feel the need to take risks like this and isn't life more precious than that'

Well, it is inherently dangerous, isn't it?

Isn't that why there was a fire crew and an ambulance crew "standing by".
Things are made more dangerous when a person with little/no experience is doing it. Verging on reckless, IMO.

Steve Irwin - a very experienced diver, diving with what is normally a placid creature.

Richard Hammond - a very inexperienced jet powered car driver, it would seem, performing beyond his abilities.

Sad on both counts.

fingers still well crossed.

[viper900dodge]

it was waiting to happen one of them gets injured=there not allowed to do anymore dangerous stunts=the program will get boring to the people who only like imprezas=ratings will drop=topgear is dead!!!!!!!!!noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[neilsie]

well, regardless.. get well soon to the man.  BBC report he is improving:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5366422.stm

i think topgear is much the better for him and JM - makes up for the walking ego called Clarkson.

[Steve TTTD]

Richard Hammond, Injured while driving a Jet Car.....  The reporting is about how inherently dangerous it is and there are phone in shows about 'Why do people feel the need to take risks like this and isn't life more precious than that'

Well, it is inherently dangerous, isn't it?

Isn't that why there was a fire crew and an ambulance crew "standing by".
Things are made more dangerous when a person with little/no experience is doing it. Verging on reckless, IMO.

Steve Irwin - a very experienced diver, diving with what is normally a placid creature.

Richard Hammond - a very inexperienced jet powered car driver, it would seem, performing beyond his abilities.

Sad on both counts.

fingers still well crossed.

Nobby, I wasn't suggeting that driving a Jet Car is not dangerous, of course it is...
My comments related to the uniformed comment and analysis in the news reporting of the incident.

Steve Irwin - a very experienced diver, diving with what is normally a placid creature.
- Killed in an accident by something unexpected...

Richard Hammond - a very inexperienced jet powered car driver, it would seem, performing beyond his abilities.
- Injured in an accident by something unexpected.

At present there has been no information about Hammonds preparation for the drive, but I would be surprised if Colin Fallows let him drive it if he felt it was 'beyond his abilities.
You don't just jump into one of these things and fire it off up the runway...

That was exactly the reason that Dennis Priddle would not let Maggie Philbin drive the Fuel Streanliner in the Eigthies for Tomorrows World, because he said 'she couldn't handle it'.

My point in comparing the two is that, because there are cars involved the reporting is different.

If Irwin had been killed by a crocodile, not a stingray I don't think there would have been the same sanctimonious, 'Holier than thou', "What is the point of what he was doing" rubbish that was on the phone in show I was listening to this morning.

Good luck Hamster...

[Fran]

Not sure if it was BBC or ITV news but their "witness" said that he had watched the timed runs, left the track and then heard the car fire up again and do another run and then heard about the accident when someone told him about it later!!!

Now call me picky, but that isnt a witness to the accident in my book!

[Steve TTTD]

Not sure if it was BBC or ITV news but their "witness" said that he had watched the timed runs, left the track and then heard the car fire up again and do another run and then heard about the accident when someone told him about it later!!!

Now call me picky, but that isnt a witness to the accident in my book!

This must be the same witness that the BBC website used for the fatality at the Euro Finals at The Pod...
He was standing on the banking near the startline and 'saw somethig come off one of the cars about 100 yards past the finish line and go into the crowd...

[Neal]

Fran

The so called witness was on GMTV, said he was a racing driver instructor at Elvington. My one gripe with all this was going to work this morning I have never seen so much press and all the vans that go with them outside Leeds General Infirmary. I know it's news but I think it insensitive for all the family, ok report what has happened, but please let the family get on with things.

Good luck Hamster

[Simon (WRC GT4)]

Taken from Pistonheads.com
They have set up charitable donations to Yorks air ambulance. Seems to be gathering quite a pace.. 

http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond?page=2#donationtable

[RichUK]

I was just going to post that link.

The initial aim was to cover the cost of one day running the air ambulance, they surpassed that with ease.