NASCAR safety must be a priority

Lap belts. Helmet shields. Head and neck safety devices. Not much could have saved Dale Earnhardt's life Feb. 18 when he rammed a concrete wall at Daytona Motor Speedway. \nBut something needs to be done to increase safety in NASCAR races.\nNASCAR lost its top gun, its poster boy, its role model. Who's next? True, precautions will only get the sport so far, and part of the nation's fascination with racing lies in its high-speed danger. But something needs to be done before another hero falls. Some standards need to be set. \nNASCAR officials say the lab belt strapped around Earnhardt's waist ripped. His face smashed into the steering wheel, cracking his skull from front to back. The lap belt, which Earnhardt himself probably ordered to be altered, would have helped lessen the impact and given him a "much better chance at survival," said Dr. Steve Bohannon, head of emergency medical services at the track. \nEarnhardt wore a helmet without a face guard; instead of wrapping around his chin, the helmet covered his ears and stopped. A face shield, officials say, would have absorbed some of the impact from the steering wheel, again improving his chances of survival. \nThe controversial, less-than-popular Head and Neck Safety device could have also prolonged Earnhardt's life. But he chose not to wear it, just like he chose to bump rivals on the track. \nOne must honor Earnhardt's choice not to wear the HANS, which some drivers deem bulky and awkward. Earnhardt lived and died by his own set of standards.\nThe question looming is, when should NASCAR encroach upon drivers' beliefs and ideas concerning safety? Any death is horrible, but Earnhardt's should send a message to NASCAR that something needs to be done. Now is the time to do it. \nParticular helmet styles and seat belts should remain personal choices of drivers, but the HANS device should be required. The instrument, which keeps a driver's neck attached to the back of the seat, might not have saved Earnhardt's life, but it's sure to save others. Some might like it and some might not, but Earnhardt's death should serve as a wake-up call to NASCAR, telling the organization to make some kind of decision regarding safety. \nSpeed, wrecks and death are all components of racing, but safety should be an issue, too. Something needs to be done … before another man of Earnhardt's ability and character blasts another wall and breaks another million hearts.\nStaff vote: 7-2