Image credit: @testdrivernews

Throughout the year, the Nurburgring has what is called touristenfahrten, which loosely translates to “tourist rides.” Basically, when there is nothing going on at the ‘Ring, the general public can apply and purchase tickets to drive their own vehicle on the Green Hell. Pricing ranges from 1 lap or 15 minutes for €29 (about $38) to 25 laps at 15 minutes per lap for €550 Euro or about $605. It sounds like a fun adventure and all – I would love to take a few laps in my 1993 Acura Legend myself – but this last weekend something went horribly wrong for one couple in what appears to be an early ‘90s Honda Civic Hatchback.

According to SWR Fernsehen, the car you see in the image above was occupied by a man and his girlfriend. As the driver came into a curve in the Kesselchen section of the track, his excessive speed combined with the wet roads, caused him to lose control of the car, sending it skidding sideways into a safety car that was tending to another accident. The driver and passenger of the Honda Civic were killed (assumingly on impact) while the two track marshals tending to the other accident were injured. A nearby tourist is reportedly suffering from shock but, like the track marshals, is expected to be okay.

Upon investigation of this story, I was able to find another image of the red Civic prior to the accident (not shown here.) Sadly, the driver’s girlfriend wasn’t even wearing a helmet. There was a warning light to advise those on the track to lower their speed in light of the accident that had already taken place, but the driver either didn’t see it or failed to heed the warning.

Keep reading for the rest of the story.

Why it Matters

Any serious injury or loss of life is tragic, and this is another one of those cases that remind us that safety is of the utmost importance. Regardless of whether or not the driver was following the rules while the warning light is on is one thing, but he was also driving too fast for the wet conditions of the track anyway. Furthermore, why was the passenger not wearing a helmet? It seems to me that they shouldn’t have been let on the track if the passenger wasn’t at least wearing a helmet.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve never had the glory of taking a spin around the Nurburgring – fingers still crossed that I do someday – so I can’t say whether or not the driver could have seen the warning or the accident ahead of him or not. But, just the fact that I had someone else in the car with me would be enough for me to exercise extra caution. Luckily, neither of the track marshals or the spectator was killed, but two families are now missing people that they surely loved. With that said, even if it cuts down the level of fun a little bit, make sure you’re safe on and off the track!