I wanted to seperate this question from the Scott Kalitta thread because I didn't want it to stray off topic.

When did it become acceptable to show fatal accidents on TV? I thought this was a no-go?

Scott,

It has always been acceptable to show fatal accidents on TV from what i have known. Here in england Senna's crash was on TV, and mainly many many fatal motorcycle accidents have been on tv.

Just the way it is.

In the US it has not always been this way. I was very surpised to see ESPN replay this...

I think that if I was going out there and laying it all on the line and had a bad accident and died, I would want my spectacular crash aired on TV. As a fan, that is something I hope to never see but that`s just the way it is sometimes and airing it or not doesn`t change the facts. I was watching a clip of a fatal accident that was posted here and the announcer said that out of respect for the fallen driver, the race was called off. I just cannot agree with that. The show MUST go on for the fallen driver in my opinion.

Until YouTube, the only time I had seen Jeff Krosnoff's fatal crash was as it happened on the live telecast. Not replaying a fatal crash is just something the media has done in the past. Replaying a fatal crash today is just a sign of the times I guess.

People are just less sensitive these days I guess.

It would also be a little strange for TV producers to push road safety campaigns and police documentaries detailing the horrorific aftermath of an accident and then turn around and decide that audiences are not prepared for seeing a fatal motor racing accident.

In a sense, I believe that were these accidents used as an example of the horrible deaths possible in a motor vehicle, rather than a morbid slot filler on the evening sports news; drivers on the public roads would think a little more before they drive like a dick.

I dont see anything wrong with it. I think it just shows the dangers of motorsports.

Its not like they zoom in on all the gore of it.

Besides they been showing these accidents since Gilles death, that was probly the most gruesome wreck I've seen.

Not including the rally wrecks.

Take a look at the things shown in movies today (and not just rated R ones) and you will see why our society isn't sensitive to this material.

What do you mean by acceptable is my question, (1) replay is acceptable, more than once? never. People need closure these days, and video helps people understand why. Dale Sr, Roberto Gonzolez, jeff krosnoff, Greg Moore,Francois Cevert and most famously Ayrton Senna but safety measures can only protect a person so long.

My friend told me the results of an inquiry in the NHRA top fuel death last year, really disturbing, the full titanium head surround is now mandatory part of the cockpit and I am sure there will be an emergency chute deployment system in the future in the NHRA for situations like this. From the look of the Kalitta accident, he was knocked un-conscious from the engine detonation and his death resulted from a secondary back-up system not in place. JMO

I think it basically boils down to this, if network A elects to not show it network B will show it, and of course with YouTube now a factor any network electing to not show it is giving up viewers, and well as usual the might buck always seem to dictate.