REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Monday, May 11, 1998

THINKING of heading go-karting? Spare a thought for the woman, 20, who was partially scalped when her long hair become tangled in the axle of her kart.

The woman’s ear was also torn off during the accident and her injuries were so severe she required surgery at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The case was investigated by Workplace Health and Safety officers, who sought to understand how the young woman’s hair became caught.

The park’s owner, Steve Cosson, absolved himself of any wrongdoing, saying drivers were required to wear balaclavas and overalls in order to stay safe.

He insisted said his centre enforced strict safety rules to prevent such accidents from occurring.

If a driver’s hair was longer, they were asked to tie it back with a supplied elastic band.

Mr Cosson said because the woman’s hair was long, she had also put her ponytail down her overalls.

“Everyone wears a balaclava and overalls,” he said.

“She either pulled it out or it came out somehow.

“I’ve been in this business for three years and it’s the first time we have seen it. We were on to it straight away.”

It was the second such incident to happen on the Gold Coast within two years.

In 1996, another woman suffered head injuries when her hair became caught in the go-kart she was driving at Sundale. She also suffered injuries to her skull.

The stories eventually became folklore for future generations of go-karters on the Gold Coast.