Well I'm not going to pull any punches here, and I'm sure this post will ruffle a few feathers but at this time of the year I think its timely.

I wouldn't mind if this demonstration was on a skid pan, but quite clearly its in a public place, and I could imagine there would be some pretty pissed off people in the nearby vicinity. Its antics like this which give RX8 drivers a bad reputation, not to mention committing the offence of reckless driving.

Bottom line...out of one in every ten drivers aged under 25, one in 4 of them will die on our roads. This is a fact. All drivers need to be aware that no matter how good of a driver you think you are, reckless driving is a sure way of leading to disaster.

Whilst your video may look harmless enough, tell that to the world’s best drivers who have been victims of errors of judgment. Peter Brock's death in Australia and Ayrton Senna in San Marina should serve as a constant reminder to us all. Check this out... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_motorsports

With Xmas just around the corner, I have a special message to philipchan – being a good driver is not just about the ability to control a car and having good reflexes, but its also about your attitude and being able to recognise and understand the dangers on the road.

Merry Xmas and have a safe and prosperous New Year...

and do it without first moving...

It's antics like this which give RX-8 drivers the reputation for valuing Zoom-Zoom.

Philip did do this in a controlled environment. He even had a safety spotter documenting the event! And I didn't see him do anything to mar the surface and leave marks all over the pavement like donuts can do.

For the under 25 crowd, I'd actually RECOMMEND that you go out and play like this. More important than going into spins is learning to recover from spins. But play with your car in a controlled environment, and you'll become a much better driver when the variables are out of your control and it is your life and other lives that are on the line.

We are totally agreed with the goal of safety. These are just two different views on how to get there. I see Mr Chan's way to get there with more skill and more fun.

Of course, competitive racing comes with a very different set of risks than public driving that make it MUCH more dangerous. But when you point out Senna's death, it also serves as a reminder of the fact that his 1994 crash was the LAST driver fatality at that top level of F1 racing. That is to say, F1 has gone for over a dozen years without killing off a driver.

I have a couple of points i'd like to raise with your response....first its in a public place so how can doing donuts in the dark be a controlled environment. What were the credentials of the 'safety spotter'(I take it you were there).

I do however agree with you on your other point.

Everyone should develop their driving skills to become a much better driver, but my message to the under 25 crowd, is if you value your drivers licence I'd actually RECOMMEND that you DON'T do this on a public road.

If you want to learn the variables of driving skills, enroll in an Advanced driving course, and get yourself to a private road or a track.

You'll find 99% of people on this forum will agree.....

+1 on that.

I don't see how a person is putting their license at risk by developing skills in an empty parking lot of a privately owned establishment. And a parking lot is very different from doing this stuff on a public road (where your license WOULD be at risk).

I have no idea who shot the video, but it is apparent to me that they were in a position to see any dangerous situation developing and flag as needed. So while I do not know their credentials, I know my own. I am trained as a flagger for top level race cars. I've flagged the likes of Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy. I know that if a person with a camcorder needed to grab the attention of people in a parking lot, it can be done.

By the way, earlier today I was watching a motorcycle rider in an empty church parking lot practicing wheelies and other tricks. I admired his discipline for doing that in an empty lot and not on the street where he would be risking ending up under my tires!

You might want to think twice after you have a read this. Peoples lives can be greatly affected by people driving irresponsibly. I know the impact it has on families because its been my job for the past 30 years.

Anyhow, it appears Texan driving laws are a bit more lenient than over here, and they do not take into account how much your insurance will go up and any surchages, court costs, impacts on your work, social life etc if prosecuted.

The laws in Queensland (Australia) compared to Houston are below....

HOUSTON

In Texas reckless driving is considered a criminal offense. It is a class one 'gross misdemeanor' which can carry with it the possibility of 0 - 365 days in jail, loss of privilege to drive, and fines up to $5,000.00.

License Suspension: If convicted, reckless driving convictions lead to an automatic license suspension of 30 days. This suspension will take place at a minimum of 45 days after sentencing.

SR-22 Insurance: If your license is suspended, you will need to have SR-22 insurance for 3 years. This insurance is often much more expensive than your current insurance.

QUEENSLAND

In Queensland laws exist to ensure that people are accountable for their behaviour whilst in control of a motor vehicle. Offences can include:

Manslaughter
Dangerous driving
Careless driving
Unlicensed driving
Failing to remain at a scene of an accident
Minor traffic offences

Any person who has been convicted on any of the above offences can be disqualified from driving for 2 years or more, including an absolute disqualification for life.

CARELESS DRIVING

A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road or elsewhere without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place commits the offence of careless driving, and is guilty of an offence. The maximum penalty for this offence is $3,000.00, or six (6) months imprisonment.

DANGEROUS OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

It is an offence for a person to operate a vehicle dangerously in any place. It is also an offence for a person to interfere with the operation of a vehicle dangerously in any place. The maximum penalty is $15,000.00, or three (3) years imprisonment.

Its a topic people sometimes don't like harping on, but I feel its a necessary one to deliver the harsh reality when you see videos of people driving like idiots on the internet....

I drive how i drive i dont give a shit, i have heard of a statistic that says aggressive drivers are more attentive than defensive drivers anyway. I know the 2 curves i go through on the way home from work hauling ass is better than most people "multi-tasking" like talking on a cell, eating, and putting make up at the same time. Cant tell you how many times i have seen someone go right through a red light while messing around with something in the car. Those are the dangerous ones. Until i see people like that getting pulled over for being clueless i will keep giving my car hell when i want too...

I'm well aware that the laws come with harsh penalties. My point was regarding jurisdiction. There are places where those laws just don't apply. A popular place for autocross here in Houston is down the freeway at Gulf Greyhound. Guess where they do it? In the parking lot. Several years ago on the other side of town at Sam Houston Racepark, I had my very first ride in the RX-8. That was in 2003, and it was conducted in the parking lot. Obviously they have far more controls at such events than someone goofing off in an empty lot, but back to the legal aspects... I'm not aware of any special permits that are required to do such activities in these kinds of parking lots. The cops just don't have the authority to bust you for reckless driving in such places. It's like the STOP signs in those lots. If you run right through them you will risk smashing another car or running over a pedestrian, but it is not a moving violation per standard traffic rules. Those just don't apply.

Now I'm not a lawyer. That's just my understanding of the law. And if my understanding is not accurate, I would certainly like to know about it because you may have seen that I myself recently did some parking lot play time, video and all. And I did it with the understanding (perhaps mistaken) that it was not a traffic violation.

I'm sure that your job requires a solid understanding of the law. But maybe things work differently here topside.

(Ref - https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-multimedia-photo-gallery-6/8-donuts-revisited-132784/)

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