When getting home safely is the goal, practice matters. Self-extraction from your vehicle is a skill – one that every competitor should practice.

Sunil Vohra, CEO of Motorsport Australia, explains that the focus of the recent rule isn’t on enforcing self-extraction testing, but on helping drivers practice vehicle exits so they can respond effectively when it matters.

“Testing self-extraction gives competitors a chance to practice in a controlled environment, where it’s safe to make mistakes and learn from them,” Vohra said.

“The testing data tells us that our members get faster at extracting when they practice it.

“Practice can make all the difference in an emergency situation.

“The goal is to ensure every driver becomes skilled in self-extraction – ideally, so the first time they need to do it isn’t during a real incident where speed is critical.”

Vohra is a state level competitor who has also been subjected to testing.

“After a race at Phillip Island last year, I was called into the scrutineering bay to be put through self-extraction testing,” Vohra said.

“It’s not that easy to pull yourself out of the car quickly after an hour-long race, but I was able to do it in around eight seconds.”

“However, it wasn’t the first time I’ve done it. I’ve practiced self-extraction before, and like others the data tells us that when we practice, we get faster. That’s the intent. It’s not to try and catch people out. It’s not to try and send people home.”

Motorsport Australia’s self-extraction testing is part of the risk management settings we have as a sport that carries a level of risk. Practice is the key to helping us all improve on the skills that matter when incidents occur.

The key focus of self-extraction should be the intent – encouraging competitors to practice exiting their vehicles within 10 seconds. It’s about sharpening the skills that matter most when it counts.

Find out more at the Self-Extraction Policy.