Fazal lifts the lid on the motor rally’s foolproof safety measures

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S long-serving navigator, Maisam Fazal has hailed Iringa Motorsports Club  for their foolproof safety measures they undertook during the recently staged season oponer in Iringa.

Fazal, who was navigating veteran driver Samir Shanto, suffered adversity when their Ford Proto went up in flames in  the early stages, only to be saved by foolproof safety measures.

“ We escaped unscathed  due to the safety measures that include fireproof suits and FIA- standard fire extinguishers, we thank Iringa Motorsports Club for that initiative,” said Fazal.

Fazal said their miraculous escape thrilled the foreign media outlets, most notably those based in   Uganda.

Fazal  said  Tanzanian drivers strictly adhere to the world’s motorsports body (FIA} that mandates a multi-layered safety system to protect drivers when a race car catches fire, covering active fire suppression, structural shielding, and driver gear.

Plumbed-in Extinguishers: Formula 1 and other FIA-sanctioned cars are equipped with mandatory, high-pressure fire extinguisher systems. These systems hold a suppression agent (such as 3M Novec 1230 gas) and route plumbing directly to the cockpit and the engine compartment.

Independent Power: The extinguishers operate on their own battery source, ensuring they can deploy even if the car’s primary electrical system is severely damaged.

Multi-Point Activation: The system can be triggered automatically by sensors, manually by the driver using a cockpit button, or externally by marshals and mechanics using master switches at the bottom of the car’s chassis.

Driver protection and fire-resistant suits: Drivers wear custom-fitted racing suits made of Nomex that are certified to resist open flames for at least 20 seconds, giving rescue crews crucial time to extract them.

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Survival Cells: The cockpit itself is built as a highly durable, fire-resistant carbon-fiber survival cell designed to isolate the driver from external fuel and oil fires.

According to Fazal , Tanzania was the first East African country to introduce  fire-resistant suit  in 2006.

“We found that we were ahead of the rest in fireproof suits in 2006 when Tanzania  entered three cars in the Pearl  of Africa Rally of Uganda,” he recalls.

He says:” Today, 20 years later, Tanzanian drivers have maintained their seriousness in observing safety measures that ensure safety of both drivers and navigators.”