Don Keightley wrote this back in 2007 to help new members understand the no-fault incident system a little better. He reposted it for the benefit of newer members few days ago.
“When I first joined the beta, I had issues with the no-fault penalty system, voicing my opinion long and loud about how unfair it was, angry that I was getting incidents that were ‘not my fault’. I was steamed. It was so wrong and it needed to be changed!
Does this sound familiar??
Shannon said something that I immediately blew off, and continued to rant
“When you get an incident, regardless of whose fault it was, ask yourself ‘WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO AVOID GETTING THAT INCIDENT’ “
I thought the guy was nuts. (Sometimes I still do… ) It wasn’t my fault! I got punted! The rule wasn’t going to change so I figured “What the hell, let’s try it his way”
It took a while but I figured it out. I got in a wreck, then went back and looked at the replay. Holy cow! I saw a few things I could have done differently, and started applying them.
A strange thing happened. I wasn’t getting into incidents so much anymore. My safety rating started to climb, and to top it all, I started to win races! I was finishing more races, having great fights 2 wide with other drivers, and starting to get a little respect. It hurt me to admit it, but grudgingly, I realized Shannon was right. It takes 2 cars to cause a wreck, and if you take one out of the equation, the incident doesn’t happen.
So what can you do to avoid incidents??
1. Practice with friends. One of the biggest failings most sim drivers have, is the ability to drive in crowded conditions. Drive nose to tail and side by side until you are both comfortable. The more friends you can do it with the better, and you will learn to trust each other in tight situations
2. Learn to drive different lines through turns. The hot lap line you run in qualifying is fine for qualifying or when you are on a clear track. It doesn’t work at the start of the race or in crowded condition. Learn the inside line and the outside line an know the braking points for these lines so you will be able to stay on that side of the track with another car next to you
3. Situational awareness. Be aware of cars around you and what they are doing or trying to do. Be aware of what another driver MIGHT do and act accordingly. Vision in a sim is limited, so if you are not sure whether another car is next to you, then ASSUME there is one there. This might lose you a position in some cases, but it is better to be safe than wreck the race for a few people, yourself included
There are other things you can do to avoid incidents, and you will figure them out as you go along. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, incidents will hurt you, so avoid them at all costs
Racing requires aggression to get to the front, but aggression should ALWAYS be tempered with good judgment and respect. Nobody wants to be known as the Kyle Busch of iRacing
Now, get out there and have some fun!!”
See you on the track!
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