IT WAS chilling to hear people like Sir Jackie Stewart and Nigel Mansell say that the 220 mph crash that killed British driver Dan Wheldon was inevitable.

The phrase “an accident waiting to happen” should never be applicable.

If that is the case surely action should be taken BEFORE a fatality occurs?

I’ve never understood the saying “untimely death” – when is anyone’s last breath timely, apart from Sadam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden maybe?

Wheldon, pictured left, was not hugely known in this country, simply because his winning of the famous Indy 500 in 2005 passed under the radar.

His sport receives scant publicity, which is why it is only when a tragedy such as this occurs that it makes news.

No doubt those who knew Dan will say he died doing what he loved and that like Ayrton Senna and Ronnie Petersen he knew the dangers and was always prepared to take the risk.

That may be true but the sport owes it to its participants to offer the best possible protection.