Isle of Man TT Deaths

[trousers]

I'm all for freedom of choice, and against banning things for the sake of doing so, but it does surprise me that a handful of people die every year in a sporting event and the powers-that-be don't seem to bat an eyelid.

I can't think of any other sport where even one fatality would be tolerated without  action being taken and/or a degree of uproar.

I'm not casting an opinion one way or the other on whether it should be banned or scaled down, I'm simply curious as to why, in today's world where health and safety is paramount, this sporting event seems to be immune from any interventions.

Thoughts?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/61760266

Edited 11 June, 2022 by trousers

[The Kraken]

7 minutes ago, trousers said:

I can't think of any other sport where even one fatality would be tolerated without  action being taken and/or a degree of uproar?

Perhaps not a sport per se, but along those lines is top level mountaineering. One in a hundred people who take on Everest will die, but apparently K2 is one in four and Annapurna almost one in three.

I do find the TT deaths pretty shocking though and I’m somewhat surprised it’s still just accepted as part of the risk.

[Lighthouse]

Having seen some of the videos, I’m actually surprised deaths are that low.

[Baird of the land]

Yeah does seem odd given the current hyper healthy and safety culture.

F1 used to be interesting to watch when it rained but now it's a safety car. The grand national fences used to be tough but they got neutered somewhat to limit bad publicity when horses died.

[badgerx16]

It isn't just the TT, motorbike road racing in general is high risk; street 'furniture', kerbs, and stone walls passing by at over 190mph, complete absence of run-off areas or 'kitty litter', let alone trees causing rapid changes in lighting conditions and holding damp patches after rain. Watching Michael Dunlop pushing the envelope this week is frightening, and he above all others understands the danger, having lost his uncle, father, and brother in crashes.

Then again, nobody makes them do it.

What is more inexplicable in relation to the TT course is that the Mountain Road, ( and several other stretches of Manx road ), is unrestricted for all traffic, all year round. Anybody can take a motorcycle over there and go as fast as he can for over 11 miles, after Ramsey. ( However, temporary blanket speed limits were introduced during the pandemic ).

Edited 11 June, 2022 by badgerx16

[rallyboy]

I love the TT, but in the background, this year has been horrendous, and you do look at it and wonder how bad it has to get before changes are discussed.

The speeds are insane - but it's such a unique event that the course can't alter so the only thing you could do then is control the machinery, but you could send people out on mopeds and they'd still push beyond the limit.

As it says on the signs, motorsport is dangerous - sadly, I'm not sure there's an answer to this one, you just hope it's an unlucky year.

 

[Lighthouse]

I do wonder if it’s actually some sort of ritual sacrifice carried out by an isolated island community, like the Wicker Man. They invite mainlanders over who are then killed ahead of the harvest.

[Weston Super Saint]

I suspect they round all their transplant patients up on an annual basis and have surgeons on standby.  NHS efficiencies in action on the IoM.

[whelk]

We should turn the Isle of Man into an Alcatraz style prison. Weird fucking place.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, whelk said:

We should turn the Isle of Man into an Alcatraz style prison. Weird fucking place.

Can't.  Not our jurisdiction. 

[skintsaint]

On 11/06/2022 at 20:45, whelk said:

We should turn the Isle of Man into an Alcatraz style prison. Weird fucking place.

 

[Saint in Paradise]

In my younger days I was a scrutineer at the T.T. and I can assure you that no competitors are put off by the risk.

They are all very aware of the potential damage to themselves and their family but unless you have competed yourself

you will never be able to understand why T.T. racers want, indeed in some cases need, to race.

I myself was a scrutineer of the machine, ridden by Roger Corbett, just before the race in which he crashed and died.

I have never forgotten the feelings I had as I wondered if my scrutineer colleague and me had missed any faults with

the bike which caused Roger to crash. His inquest stated that there was NO fault with the bike it was just a tragic

accident.