Richard Hammond critically injured on shoot for Top Gear

[chuckskull]

If he was driving anything that looked like the Vampire they were showing on the beeb then I'd be worried - the head is totally exposed at the front with just a roll cage which would of course just dig into soft ground. There is of course scope for a possibly poor taste joke about hamsters there but that should probably wait until we know he's ok.

Yeah thats the car he was driving. It did seem to lack any kind of front protection, but at 300mph most of the safety gear is there for show or hoping you've slowed down a bit before things go tit's up.

At those kind of speeds, no matter how much metal is in the way you're going to get veru hurt. Another problem that spring to mind with having protection in front of the driver is the possilbility of it it coming loose and cutting your head off. Whatever condition he's in, he's lucky to be alive.

[dave87]

He would have been strapped in so tightly that he would have been almost part of the rollcage/shell in which he was encased. The other bits are designed to break away safely to aid slowing down and to stop any injury due to them entering the cabin - as it is open topped (but with roll cage/bar)

Dave

[UKMuFFiN]

Uh,

Acceleration: 0 to 272mph in 6 seconds

[chuckskull]

The BBC are now calling it a serious brain injury. I really hope for him and his family this is an exaggeration.

From what I can tell, one of his tyres blew out, but he managed to deploy the parachutes in time to slow himself down before he veered off into the grass. Which probably saved his life.

[magnolia]

If anyone is interested there is a donation page for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance that has been set up in Richards name.

http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond

[Rack]

I sincerely hope he recovers OK. BBC's mention of a serious brain injury was a serious downer, but I hope he can make a full recovery.

[chuckskull]

I'll make a donation when I get paid monday.

[MadduckUK]

guys a ledgend. this isnt good

[Nick F]

If anyone is interested there is a donation page for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance that has been set up in Richards name.

http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond

God 20k already

[dave87]

£24k + 6k from gift aid

[Grm]

Apparently, James may was supposed to of been driving this but pulled out a few days before. Awful thing to happen, defintly the end of there mad stunts will most likely end up being toned down and made boring like "5th Gear"

Hope he gets well soon.

[jamin]

Gutted by this, talented bloke who is genuinley nice too.

My thoughts are with him and his family..... Get well soon Hamster!

[jamin]

Sky news are now saying:

Significant Brain injury giving cause for concern.

Police investigating, leaked emails...... Looks like they are looking for a scapegoat.....

Leave it alone Sky, let him recover first.....

[dangel]

Why on earth do we need a scapegoat? He agreed to get in the car and what happened was pure bad luck. The last thing hammond would want is top gear to suffer due to this (although inevitably it will if he doesn't come back to it). Get well soon Richard.

[kalniel]

He would have been strapped in so tightly that he would have been almost part of the rollcage/shell in which he was encased. The other bits are designed to break away safely to aid slowing down and to stop any injury due to them entering the cabin - as it is open topped (but with roll cage/bar)

Dave

That assumes you only ever roll on tarmac.. do it on soft ground and the fin/rollcage just slide under the soil and act like a plough - whatever's normally pushing through air is suddenly pushing through soil/stones - hence why an open roll cage is so dangerous. :/

My guess is that most of the safety is actually focussed on not going off the tarmac in the first place, so the puncture is obviously the main problem - can you get run flat tyres that do 300?

[Ben_]

im sure he will be ok

cant wait to see the footage!