FIA Rally Safety Delegates practical training a success

Rally Safety Delegates representing 11 FIA Member Clubs gathered in Valleiry, France, earlier this week for a two-day Rally Operational Safety Training seminar.

Twenty-four FIA Member Club Rally Safety Delegates participated in several workshops as well as receiving expert advice and guidance from Nicolas Klinger, FIA WRC Deputy Safety Delegate and President of the Closed Road Commission, and Clément Lauté, FIA Closed Road Safety Manager.

Supported by the FIA Foundation’s Motor Sport Safety Grant, the Rally Operational Safety Training seminar, which was held at the FIA Technical Center in Valleiry, was the first of its kind to take place as a physical activity after previous courses were held online due to the global health pandemic.

Following an explanation of the safety tool resources that are available to rally organisers through the FIA Member Clubs, the delegates relocated to a public road identified as being reminiscent of a rally stage for the Special Stage Safety Dossier workshop.

This gave delegates the opportunity to prepare a special stage safety dossier, which were then reviewed by Klinger and Lauté with feedback given and discussed during a subsequent workshop at the start of day two. 

Following an FIA Safety Assets presentation, a workshop was held to give FIA Member Club representatives the opportunity to discuss safety concerns relating to special stage set-up and operation.

“We are very pleased to have completed the first Rally Operational Safety Training course as a physical activity with delegates from 11 FIA Member Clubs attending in person,” said Nicolas Klinger. “We can definitely say it was a success because we had a lot of exchanges of views rather than us spending two days just talking at the delegates, which was never the aim. 

“Rally Safety Delegates have many skills and lots of knowledge, but their expertise is mainly in assessing an existing special stage safety dossier prepared by a rally organiser rather preparing a document from scratch. Visiting a mock-up special stage to prepare the dossier worked really well in helping this process, particularly how we were able to encourage spectator zones and hazard protection for drivers to be a key part of the special stage safety dossier preparation. 

“The Rally Safety Delegates who attended will be able to provide even more support to event organisers as a result of the seminar, which was the main objective as we continue to work to enhance safety in rallying. We are already working on delivering the Rally Operational Safety Training seminar in other regions, just as soon as it’s practically possible to do so. However, our door is always open to FIA Member Clubs requiring support and advice.”