Chamber and committees

The review group on motor sport event safety began work in June 2014 following the tragic deaths of three people and injuries to several others at the Jim Clark Rally in 2014. A spectator had also been killed and another injured at the Highland Snowman Rally the previous year.

The group was established by the Scottish Government to ‘Examine safety, specifically spectator safety, at motor sport events in Scotland and make recommendations to improve safety for future events.’

The group is chaired by the Scottish Government and has a wide membership including representatives of the Motor Sports Association (MSA), Scottish Auto Cycle Union, Police Scotland, the Health & Safety Executive and a local authority. The group has been advised by Sir Jackie Stewart.

The group has not considered the particular circumstances of the accidents at the Jim Clark and Highland Snowman rallies as these are subject to open investigations by Police Scotland, the Health & Safety Executive and the Crown Office.

The immediate priority was to consider safety at multi-venue stage rallies. This is the main type of rally in Scotland and uses linked sections of forest or public road covering many miles. Only two rallies in Scotland currently use public roads – the Jim Clark Rally and the Mull Rally. There are a number of forest rallies including the nine Scottish Championship events. Interim recommendations were announced in October 2014 prior to the Mull Rally. The group has now submitted final recommendations on multi-venue stage rallies.

The group will consider other areas of two, three and four wheeled motor sport early this year.

I am delighted with this important work by the review group. Key proposals, such as the introduction of an MSA licensing scheme and training for marshals, a press accreditation scheme, the liaison between rally organisers and Police Scotland at local level and the tightening up of measures such as the use of safety plans, spectator safety officers and course cars represents a significant package and a step forward in reducing the risks to spectators.

We want to see motorsports continue in Scotland in as safe a manner as possible so that the many people who enjoy this sport can continue to do so. We do not want to deter people from volunteering to marshal at rallies – it is clear that the sport will continue to be dependent on the significant input of dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers. However, we need to ensure that there is an appropriate level of regulation by the sport’s governing body, the MSA, of the contribution of those volunteers.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to working with the MSA going forward on the transitional and full implementation of the review group’s recommendations in a sensible and proportionate way. The Scottish Government is grateful for their co-operation and for the input of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to the review.

I am also very grateful to all members of the group who have delivered these recommendations in a very short timescale, reflecting the urgency we attach to improving spectator safety.

It is highly appropriate that our initiative on spectator safety in Scotland should set a standard that can be followed by others given the high level contribution Scotland has made to motorsports including our champions across a number of motorsports disciplines such as Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, Dario Franchitti, Allan McNish, David Coulthard, Gordon Shedden and, Steve Hislop and, in rallying, Colin McRae, his father Jimmy McRae, Robert Reid, Louise Aitken-Walker and David Bogie among others. We want to ensure that the sport continues to develop young talent but matched by a responsible and forward-thinking approach to spectator safety.

I expect the work of the group to provide a model that can be further discussed at international level with the FIA.

A short statement from the review group appears below and the full set of recommendations can be found on the group’s website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Review/motorsport-event-safety-review. A copy of the document has been placed in SPICe (Bib Number 56519).

Statement by the review group – Multi-venue stage rallies:

“The tragic events at the Jim Clark rally last year and the Highland Snowman rally the previous year meant that it was essential to review the existing regulation of the sport, particularly regulation by the Governing Body, the Motor Sports Association (the MSA). It is vital that we reduce the risks inherent in motorsport as far as we can. The Group has fully recognised that spectator safety developments have taken place, led by the MSA and the FIA, but considered that further improvement could and should take place. Our final recommendations published today build on our interim recommendations and relate to multi-venue stage rallies. The group will now consider other areas of motorsport and publish any further recommendations.

Rallying relies absolutely on the contributions of unpaid volunteers working at the sport they love in their spare time. We recognise that without those volunteers and their commitment to their sport, rallying in Scotland could not continue. Volunteers thrive on a culture that is built on “getting close to the action” with marshalling as one of the main routes to getting involved. Key aspects of our final recommendations therefore relate to rally marshalling.

Whilst recognising the importance of the commitment of unpaid volunteers, we also recognise that marshalling is a vital aspect of spectator safety that must be better regulated by the sport’s governing body. We believe that this can be improved and that it can be achieved in a proportionate and sustainable manner. It must include a formal MSA licensing scheme for marshals and mandatory basic training that ensures marshals have the right skills to deal with spectator safety issues that may arise at an event.

Media attendance at rallies has also been specifically considered in the context of risk and safety. Rally photographers and others covering events have at times been known to take unnecessary risks, including standing in areas that they have been asked to avoid. We believe that organisers must apply firmer rules to media personnel attending these events, including a means of formal accreditation.

Spectators and those attending rallies have a responsibility to be aware of and follow advice from marshals and others involved in ensuring the safety of the rally. There are times when advice is not followed and our report covers how uncooperative spectators should be dealt with including the involvement of the police. We accept fully the principle that event organisers remain primarily responsible for the safety and security of the event and do not consider it is sustainable that the police and other authorities be heavily involved in such events. However, given recent tragic events we accept transitional arrangements may have to be put in place to ensure safety and restore public confidence.

Liaison with Police Scotland has been considered and we are grateful for their participation in the review. We recommend that rally organisers should engage at a local level with Police Scotland. In addition, where following planning and consultation is deemed appropriate, a suitably experienced police liaison officer should be located in or in the vicinity of rally control while stages are being run. At a national level, Police Scotland has agreed to engage with the Motor Sports Association (MSA) to assist in designing appropriate marshal training.

We have set out further detail on the recommended roles of the Safety Delegate and Spectator Safety Officer.

We have provided further recommendations on communication with and management of spectators at rallies. This includes a recommendation that the MSA considers adopting the FIA standards on identifying low, medium and high risk areas on rallies with the attendant requirements on identifying non-permitted areas.

We have considered further how marshal numbers are assessed for rallies and recommend a new requirement in the governing body regulations that safety plans must stipulate the minimum number of both radio marshals and marshals per stage based on an assessment of the risk and that the stage cannot run if that number is not available on the day.

The full set of recommendations represents a coherent package of measures that will improve spectator safety at rallies whilst allowing the sport to continue and develop in the future.

Scotland has a long and illustrious history in motorsport with many competing at the sport at the highest levels and involved with the regulation of the sport at UK and FIA level. We have an obligation to ensure that, commensurate with our rich contribution to the sport, we take action to ensure that Scotland leads the way on spectator safety. We believe that this package of measures will ensure that rallying in Scotland provides an example for other countries to follow.

The Motorsport Event Safety Review Group”

The review group on motor sport event safety began work in June 2014 following the tragic deaths of three spectators and injuries to several others at the Jim Clark Rally this year. A spectator had also been killed and another injured at the Highland Snowman Rally the previous year.

The group was established by the Scottish Government to ‘Examine safety, specifically spectator safety, at motor sport events in Scotland and make recommendations to improve safety for future events.’

The group is chaired by the Scottish Government and has a wide membership including representatives of the Motor Sports Association, Scottish Auto Cycle Union, Police Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive and a local authority. The group also benefits from expert advice from Sir Jackie Stewart.

The immediate priority was to consider safety at rallies and the group has now reached some early views on safety at multi-venue stage rallies in Scotland (those rallies where linked sections of forest or public roads are used, covering many miles - the majority of rallies, including the Jim Clark rally). The emerging findings are set out below. Further detailed work is being done on these and other recommendations around stage rallies. The group will also move on to consider other areas of two, three and four wheeled motor sport with final recommendations expected around the end of the year.

I asked the review group to ensure that their findings were communicated to the organisers of the Mull Rally that takes place on 10 October 2014 on the Isle of Mull. The Mull Rally and Jim Clark Rally are the only two rally events in Scotland that take place on public roads. I am pleased to say, that the clerk of the course to the Mull Rally, Iain Campbell, is a member of the review group and has put some additional measures in place that reflect the emerging work of the group.

I look forward to the further work of the group to ensure that the safety of spectators is absolutely integral to the planning and running of motor sport events in Scotland.

Statement by the Review Group – Multi-venue Stage Rallies:

“Rallying in Scotland has a long history and is enjoyed by hundreds of dedicated individuals as spectators, drivers, co-drivers and volunteers. Scottish drivers and co-drivers have reached the highest levels of competition, for example, winning the World Rally Championship and building on Scotland’s motor sport tradition.

Motor sport in the UK operates in a heavily regulated environment. In addition, many rally events have a long history and have developed their own standards. However, the tragic events at the Jim Clark Rally this year and at the Highland Snowman Rally in 2013, where spectators were killed and others injured, and the devastating consequences for their families and friends, mean that it is appropriate to review the existing arrangements with a particular and important emphasis on spectator safety. Spectator safety has developed considerably since the mid-1990s and the Motor Sports Association (MSA) as UK governing body has led the development of a number of initiatives aimed at improving safety. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile has also led some important developments at international level that the group has considered in the Scottish context.

Motor sport can never be 100 per cent safe for those taking part or those spectating at events. However, the review group considers that more can be done to improve safety at rallies.

The existing sports governing body regulations (‘the regulations’) can be improved upon, and, in some cases, good practice at events exceeds those regulations. This can lead to a lack of consistency across Scotland in implementing safety standards at multi-venue stage rally events and work should be taken forward to address this proportionately.

Good communication with the public about the risks and the rules in attending rally events is absolutely fundamental to safety and the current arrangements should be improved. In addition, the accreditation of and management of press and photographers at events should be further considered and improved.

Volunteering is an integral part of rallying and we recognise that the sport depends on those volunteers to run and marshal events. However, rallying culture and the emphasis on volunteers and spectators getting close to the action also carries some risks that must be addressed.

The organisation of rallies in Scotland is handled by car clubs using volunteers. The group considers that it is essential that this volunteer based organisation is augmented going forward with independent input from outwith the organising committee into the safety of the event by a new independently appointed safety delegate. This delegate would consider the safety of the public, volunteers and competing rally crews. The delegate would have input into the draft safety plan and the planning of the event, as well as spotting issues during the running of the event, and providing feedback following the event. In addition, as currently happens at some larger events, a multi-agency planning approach would bring in a wider range of views on event planning. The rally organising committee should consider event management in the wider sense as well as the sporting nature of the event.

Rallies currently have three stewards at an event. Two are drawn from the organising club and one is provided by the MSA and has input into the competitive running of the event (through a judicial role in the event of a dispute) and the overriding safety authority including authority to cancel the event. The lead official from the organising committee is the clerk of the course who is responsible for running the event. The role of the MSA steward at a rally should be adapted to ensure that the steward remains in rally HQ for the duration of the event and is available to provide dedicated advice and support to the clerk of the course. The clerk of the course should also remain in rally HQ.

Marshals are key individuals at all rallies and absolutely integral to safety for spectators and others at the event. The review group considers that the training, education and briefing of those marshals requires specific attention and improvement beyond the current established practice. Specific consideration is being given to arrangements for new marshals and to training for those who wish to progress to become specialist marshals, senior marshals, stage commanders or chief marshals.

The use of dedicated event spectator safety officers and spectator safety cars has developed at some events as good practice. This specifically assists with identifying potential problems related to spectators before each stage of the rally goes live. Both are therefore recommended as essential for a multi-venue stage rally.

The group is clear that, as spectators frequently move around rally stages, issues need to be identified as close to stage start as possible. The spectator safety car should therefore run immediately before the zero cars and should be equipped with a loudspeaker and siren to alert the public that the rally stage is about to go live. Consistent badging of course cars should also be introduced to ensure that the purpose of each car can be fully explained to spectators.

Safety plans have developed over the last few years and are generally produced by every rally in Scotland. Again much can be learned from the best practice available and the production of safety plans should be included in the sport governing body regulations in future as a mandatory requirement for all multi-venue stage rallies. Consistent guidance related to those plans will be considered further.”