When does a sport cross the line from presenting an "acceptable" risk to being downright dangerous?

Boxing, ice hockey, rugby and many forms of motor racing all come close to that line and sometimes they cross it. Now go-kart racing in Bermuda has entered that category with the death of Jason Matthew on Sunday.

Go-kart racing has come a long way from the days of a small engine on a homemade cart. Today's go-karts, as those who have seen them on Front Street will attest, are essentially mini racing cars, capable of high speeds.

To be sure, accidents can happen in any sport, and Bermuda has been remarkably lucky in that Mr. Matthew's death was only the second death ever in motor sports.

But Sunday's accident raises several troubling questions. The first relates to the use of the Clearwater track, which was labelled as dangerous by motorcycle rider David Jones. Indeed, motorcycle riders refused to use the track at all for some time after losing their other track at Southside. Is it safe now?

Secondly, one has to question if all the safety precautions needed were taken by the organisers of Sunday's races, both in terms of barriers around the tracks and whether the speeds allowed on the track were too high.

The third question relates to the late Mr. Matthew, who was taking part in a race for only the second time. Should he have been taking part in a race with veteran drivers in a 125cc vehicle?

Some of these questions cannot be answered pending the results of the Police investigation. And it would seem that an inquiry by the Ministry of Youth and Sport, which is responsible for regulating the sport on the Island, should also take place.

This inquiry must look into whether adequate safety precautions are in place at the track, whether drivers are adequately trained for the sport before they begin racing, and whether the track itself is safe.

Until that inquiry is completed, motor racing at Clearwater must be stopped because it would be unconscionable if a second death or serious injury was to take place.