With the death of Morgan announced this morning, three deaths already in an event that from this awful perspective, as I see it, it needs to be closed down. Not for the first time people have lost their lives, giving us, the public who undoubtedly enjoy and encourage motorsport, what we often look for. Speed, incredible skill and the like. However, that said and I appreciate this post will be controversial, this event is clearly too dangerous, all of the time it takes place, not just on the odd occasion. The organisers and the event, simply cannot provide sufficient protection for riders and often the general public alike, so as much as I enjoy motorcycle racing, this event to me shouldn't be allowed to continue unless it can be made drastically safer for all concerned. It's history says it all, so for me, a no-brainer, it needs to stop......
Any death is regrettable in sport across the field but the TT started in 1907 with a total of 263 riders / sidecar passengers losing their lives, that works out at 0.43 human life lost per year.
It's very sad, and I feel for the families and friends involved, but I don't see how anyone can sign up to race the TT without understanding they may not come home.
It's not controversial, and I can see your perspective... but prohibiting road racing isn't the answer. A very very good and mature perspective was provided on this recent video from Dave Hewson, who was not commenting from his armchair but from his position as a racer and someone who is clearly devastated by the loss of in particular Davy Morgan. It's worth a watch (I've linked it to start playing just a few seconds before the relevant section). Dave's videos are all pretty good, very watchable and he's an articulate and thoughtful person. I'm slightly embarassed to say as a road racing fan that I hadn't actually realised until last week that Dave who came in Italia and would chat and chew the fat was Dave Hewson road racer. He's a very modest person, it's only through realising who Gaz Baird was spannering for this year that the penny dropped. Anyway, it gives a racer's perspective, and IMO is worth considering.
How many die climbing Everest ,K2 etc, etc ,each year ? Should this be banned as well ? Its called freedom of choice ,being free to judge the risk /reward for yourself ,long may it continue .
I absolutely don't have any issue with people doing things of their own free will and certainly wasn't implying that anyone racing had been made to take part. I'm advocating the event being made seriously safer, which I do acknowledge is always going to be rather more difficult and complicated with a road course. That said, as I see it, also being a fan of motorcycle sport and a rider myself, something I've also clearly made a personal choice about, there simply isn't enough being done to safeguard the riders in particular. Also for some responders to my post to quote numbers of deaths since the inception of the event itself, is pretty alarming to use statistically as a good enough reason to enable the event to continue, just because 'only 0.43 deaths per year' have occurred!
I don't have any disagreement about personal choices being made by anyone. However, to endeavour to make a direct comparison with what I am saying about this event, with mountain climbing, is irrational and irrelevant. This event, when actively being enabled, seldom, if ever, ends up being death free, with someone dying directly as a result of the course logistics. That's the essence of my key point.
The essence of your point was that because of the deaths it shouldn't be allowed. We've heard you, and some people will agree with you and some will disagree with you.
Well that's me told, this post got the response I had anticipated it 'might': 9No disagreed and counting.........
