However, the bigger issue that arose in this situation is how the RC industry is struggling to deal with growing pains.
Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to tell what kind of effect a wave of new products will have on the climate of the industry, which is still relatively young - true RC cars only began showing up in the last half of the 20th century. Technology has done amazing things for RC, creating the opportunity for new vehicles that have capabilities far exceeding the realm of possibility with previous generations of equipment. That skyrocketing curve of progression has had a lot of consequences for the end consumer, both good and bad.
But is it a good thing? People are dying at an alarming rate because they don’t respect the danger of using their smart phones when they should be focusing on piloting 4000 lb.+ chunks of metal, rubber, and flammable liquids. Should that same population have access to the incredible RC performance currently available? With no formal training available and no pre-purchase requirement whatsoever, anyone with cash or a credit card can take home something that has more potential to do bodily harm than what anyone might expect. All it takes is the arrogance to ignore the “this is not a toy” warning on a hobby-grade RC vehicle and you’re one “hey y’all, watch this!” moment away from putting someone in the hospital. And let’s not even breach the subject of careless mistreatment of LiPo packs and the damage that can cause…
By all means, take yourself out. Just don't hurt someone else.
Back when RC cars were exclusively offered as kits, the hobby policed itself from a safety standpoint - if you were going to put in the time to build an RC car, then figure out the intricacies of old-school brushed motors and nickel-based batteries, chances are you were going to spend an extra few minutes thinking about the potential risks involved in operating your investment of both money and time. There’s no doubt RTR vehicles have vastly improved the potential reach of RC, but with that spectacular increase in accessibility comes the added danger of not knowing how qualified the person behind the transmitter is to control what he’s driving.
Not to mention that today’s cars are far more powerful, and in many cases heavier, than what they used to be. It really hurt to get hit by a 4-pound 2WD stadium truck with a 6-cell pack and an 11x2. Get clocked by a 7-pound 1/8-scale electric buggy traveling in excess of 40 mph and you may not feel much pain at all. Unlike many forms of full-size motor sports in which rules have been put in place over the last couple of decades to control the progressing speed of the cars, RC has been continually driven to higher velocities by a vocal buying plurality - to the point where cars are difficult to drive and turn marshaling can be a perilous activity.
Painful? Absolutely. But it could've been much worse.
Today’s diversity of overpowered and incredibly versatile RC vehicles have increased the hurdles of entry into a successful RC racing career, even at the most grassroots level. In the rare instance that a hobby store manages to steer a first-time buyer away from a monster truck, it’s hard to resist just how fun a 4x4 short course truck for electric 1/8-scale buggy will be in the backyard. With no turn marshals or other cars to hit, the open field can make any newbie feel like a hero. Those vehicles have no place in the Novice class at the local track, however, and they can be plenty difficult to control within the tight confines of a traditional 1/10-scale course - heck, I hit a turn marshal in the back my first time racing Pro 4 (sorry, Patrick). For those that do start with a moderate 2WD vehicle and learn the ropes, today’s stock classes are faster than ever, widening the gap between graduating rookies and the next step on the ladder.
I don’t have the answer to these problems. Until there are seriously dire legal problems, manufacturers owe it to their bottom line to continue pushing the envelope and give the buying public what they want. That same logic explains why it’s next to impossible for the hobby shop salesman to try talking someone out of a 2WD short course truck when they really want an electric 1/8-scale buggy. How can a race director tell someone with a fast 4x4 to start racing a 2WD truck in Novice without chasing him away completely? I’m afraid that situations like the accident mentioned above are going to have to get worse, and more common, before something changes.
8/13/2014
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