I have to say that I am disappointed with the response to this posting. It demonstrates a clear case of defect normalisation. This is where a major problem has existed for so long it becomes accepted as “normal”. This effect is too common and caused the crash of the RAF Nimrod aircraft (2006 Afghanistan) and the loss of two space shuttles. This normalisation process prevails where upper management are unresponsive or inaccessible. The normalisation of defects is typically exposed only after a very serious incident, usually involving deaths. The inevitable enquiry normally finds strong evidence of warning signs repeatedly ignored over a long period of time, often years.
It is clear that kartsport is suffering all of the classic symptoms. To demonstrate how bad the situation is, I will put the facts into another context. My new brakes failed after 18 hours use. At least two kart brake manufacturers recommend maintenance after 25 hours use. It is not uncommon for experienced kart racers to recommend a complete strip down after each race day, 2 hours use at the most. So with that information, lets see how that fits in another scenario.
Hubby: Hi hun, I’m just calling to say I will be late home again tonight. I’m at the service area on the M25 stripping down the brakes.
Wife: Oh no, so soon. You only did them this morning.
Hubby: Yea I know, the traffic is really bad and it rained a bit, so I couldn’t leave them until I got home.
Wife: The salesman told us we would get at least a weeks use. The manual says 25 hours.
Hubby: Yea but ever since that time the brakes failed on Thursday when I ran into that group of deaf, dumb and blind war orphans I have been stripping down the brakes more often just to be sure. I asked that American expert, you know, Ralph Nader, he wrote that book “Safe at Any Speed”. He said that the manufacturers only make brakes and money. How could they be responsible if their brakes don’t work way out here. He said it was obviously my fault that the brakes failed because I didn’t maintain them properly.
Wife: What about that karting guy. He runs his brakes for years without any problems. All he does is change brake fluid. Why can’t we have brakes like that? Then you’d be home for dinner.
Hubby: They’re lucky they have decent brakes. I wish they would fit on our car. There doesn’t seem to be any way of getting rules for cars changed.
Wife: OK well I will leave your dinner in the microwave again.
Hubby: Thank’s Hun, I hope to be home for breakfast this time.
Of course this story is utterly preposterous because no one would ever buy a car that needed brakes to be serviced every couple of hours. It would be totally unacceptable. The technology for high performance, low maintenance brakes has been available for decades. Lamborghini, Audi, Kawasaki, Ford and all of the worlds vehicle manufacturers fit effective low maintenance brakes. Kart manufacturers can and should do the same. It is unacceptable if they don’t
So if kartsport is suffering from normalisation of the unacceptable, then there should be warning signs. Kart brake failures would be unreported, ignored or compensated for. If you have had a brake failure, or know someone that did, was it reported to the officials. If not, why not? If it was reported, what happened, nothing? Was the response “do more maintenance”?
Past case studies indicate it takes death or very serious injury to initiate the investigation that identifies normalisation of the unacceptable. Fortunately deaths and serious injury in karting are rare but that shouldn't prevent corrective action. From any perspective, it unacceptable that brakes, the key safety equipment on karts, should need maintenance far in excess what is achieved elsewhere.
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