Leaning on the competition is less of a menace when there's less speed and more room to recover. Drivers are used to these injury-free incidents. You can wreck hard there, but it's less stressful. Sharp turns were factors in the Irwin and Petty accidents. Sliding out of control into the turn, there's nowhere to go.
Banking helps absorb speed, slowing the car as it heads to the wall.
Drivers have learned to face tragedy and continue racing in the past year. While some drivers say Richmond and tracks like it might be less tense, others find it difficult to label any track as safe - no matter what the size or speed. You know that going in. If you don't, you shouldn't ever strap yourself in the race car. A lot of guys, if they're worried about getting hurt they should quit.