The club will also construct safety barriers at Turn 2 of the circuit.

The review and construction of the barriers are among recommendations made by the Accident Inquiry Committee into the accident at the circuit on Sunday, November 3 last that claimed the lives of two children, Dyna De Souza, six, and her two-year-old brother Ashton De Souza. Several other persons received injuries.

The committee, which comprised Attorney-at-law Joseph King (chairman); Managing Director of Central Garage Philip De Freitas and retired Company Director, Eric Vieira, was appointed to investigate the accident which occurred during the Gavin Naraine International Race Meet.

Following is the committee’s report:

We inspected Mr David Brodie's Ford Escort on Wednesday, November 6, 2002, at the John Fernandes Inland Port. Although we did not find anything mechanically wrong with the throttle body on his engine or the accelerator pedal, on that engine because of the turbo charger and its attendant means of activation it was possible for the throttle to accidentally stick open without warning.

On Thursday, November 7, we visited South Dakota Circuit at Timehri where we inspected the accident site.

The length and direction of the skid marks up to the point of contact with the parked minibus immediately behind the chain link fence confirms in our minds the statement by Mr Brodie that the throttle did remain wide open as he started to brake for the approach to Turn 2.

We estimated that the lapse of time from this commencement of his application of the brakes to the point of contact was around a second and a half, too short a time to do other than he did "in the agony of the moment".

We also had the benefit of statements from and interviews with the officials present on the day.

What caused the accident and injuries?

Primarily and most importantly the sticking throttle of Brodie's car as he was about to take Turn 2 causing it to run off the road at high speed, over the intervening land area, through the chain link fence and into the rear of the minibus in which those injured were sitting.

A contributory cause may well be that there was insufficient run-off area and/or a lack off more efficient barricades to have averted the injuries. However, from speaking to Club Officials and our own knowledge as senior club and race officials for over 30 years, no vehicle has ever left the track at the entrance to Turn 2. On the apex and the exit, yes, but not the entrance and certainly not at such speed. And never in the Club's history has a vehicle left the circuit anywhere as the result of a throttle sticking open. So such an incident would have been about impossible to predict. Hindsight is always 20/20 but foresight is a different matter.

There is some evidence of warnings on the public address (PA) system and otherwise that spectators should keep back from the fences and of course they should have done so for their own safety but in Guyana that does not always happen.

We make the following suggestions to the Club for future race meetings:

1. Erect an additional fence approximately 20 feet behind the existing fence;

2. Construct a substantial sand dam at least three feet high just behind the existing fence i.e. between the two fences, commencing in line with the left hand side of the road leading to Turn 2 and continuing to the point where the 48 feet wide runoff area ends;

3. Stack a suitable quantity of used tyres in front of the existing fence. These tyres must be secured in a certain way as prescribed by the FIA. Obviously no spectator should be allowed access to the area between the two fences.

4. The Club should review the entire circuit with a view to improving safety in general and must ensure that all safety measures are rigorously complied with at the race meeting and practice days.