Father and son die at Isle of man TTs

I was at a bike road race years ago where they flew by a few feet from me. Unbelievably fast and scary.

A tragedy, even more so as it is a father and son.

I do hope it does not come under threat, what would the reason be?

Competitors making their own choices, living life on their terms, whilst not holding back society. I don’t have the skills or mindset to do anything like that but I would not support any action that would halt the IOM TT.

It will be stopped when a road racer wipes out 5 or 6 spectators at the road side.

Riders take the risk, spectators are entitled to safety.

Personally I think the isle of man is nuts and when you have guaranteed deaths each year, it has crossed the line.

It's like f1 in the 1950s. Mad how it still goes on in this day and age. Still glad it exists in a world full of health and safety legislation.

Same with the goodwood circuit. Unchanged circuit since the 1960s in a world that tilke has ruined with pointy corners and acres of run off.

There really shouldn't be risk of death for any spectator going to any sporting event bar from unforeseeable circumstances. I rider losing control at 200 mph should be foreseeable and planned for.

Having spectators lining parts of roadside at the TT is negligent and I'm surprised it still goes on.

Some spectator positioning at rallying events is lunacy too.

How the hell do you plan for losing a bike at 200mph on a public road?

Ive followed the TT for years and am in awe of the lads who do it. Every single one of them understand the risk involved and every one of them want to keep doing it. Road racers really are a different breed.

Condolences to all those killed but they would turn in their graves at the thoughts that the TT would be cancelled as a reaction to their own deaths.

With that said I am surprised in this day and age it’s let go ahead but long may it last, it is an absolutely phenomenal thing to witness and I imagine the thrill of taking part in it is something that can’t be experienced anywhere else on the planet.

I love the TT and have been to it probably a dozen times. Unfortunately I was standing 50 meters from where the father and son where killed at the bottom of bray hill when it happened. While I thankfully didn't see the crash itself the noise was horrible, and the medics/marshals looked as white as ghosts so we knew the outcome wasn't good.

I'd be lying if it didn't make me question the whole road race scene at that moment and for a day or two after, but a bigger part of me can see why the risk is part of the attraction for both riders and spectators.

In a world gone mad with health and safety, with governments increasingly trying to protect the population from ourselves, there's something pure about road racing, man and machine against the clock, around a dangerous circuit, with rider knowing that one mistake could cost them their lives, each and everyone of the TT racers that line up at the top of bray hill should be respected and allowed to take the risk if they so choose in my opinion.

I don't think the TT will be banned as most locals love it snd it brings huge tourist to the island, but I can see the Irish road racing scene fizzling out in the next decade or so

Why should the spectators be entitled to safety? If they want safety they should stay at home, they are there for the spectacle of danger.

RIP to those who died. As an occasional spectator with some family involved in the sport I see both sides of the argument but I am amazed how little noise there is calling for road racing to be banned. Every time there is a death in boxing there are calls for tighter controls but road racing seems to have a far higher death rate and it barely makes the news when 5 people die.

Are they not dying while racing on public roads? Therefore there would have to be, at least a moral, "duty of care" from the State towards giving permission for the event to take place.

There are plenty of other dangerous things and pastimes which are not allowed. Suicide was only decriminalised a few years ago (but not the assisting of it)

I am giving it as an example of something which was illegal which only directly impacted the person making the choice. (It is still illegal to assist someone to commit suicide though). Heroin is also illegal, even though it can be said that it only directly impacts those who inject it. Are you not aware that it is illegal to assist someone to commit suicide? Even though it is their choice? (See Fleming v. Ireland)

It's not that difficult of a concept. Things which hurt only a person making a decision can still be made illegal and there can be valid reasons for doing so.

If I'm an employer, I have to abide by Health and Safety standards. I can't simply just notify my staff that they waive all their statutory rights in a blanket manner, and that I waive all my obligations, by them choosing to continue to work for me. Even though it would be their choice to do so or not.

Fair enough. If you can't understand the basic concept that people can be prevented from doing dangerous things they choose to, then it's not my role to spend time explaining it to you.

Well then try to get your head around the alternate one of heroin which I also gave

I have been involved in Motorsport for going on 27 years now as a competitor, also on the marshalling and safety side. I have family who are involved. While all car related and no where nearly as dangerous as the bikes., I have crashed, witnessed family members crash and been on events when competitors have died. I wold never not compete or be involved.

The motorbike competitors are a different breed again and have a much much higher exposure to danger. But I would never ask them to stop.

For those who aren't familiar with the sport or more particularly the mindset of the riders check out the Documentary "Road" based around the Dunlop family. An amazing and emotional watch

I would agree that the Irish road race scene will probably fizzle. The culture is different here and motorcycling culture is treated wit suspicion here and seen as thuggish.

I was party to a meeting for organising a motorsporting event where the roads policing Garda and people from the Council events and traffic departments were present, and they all seemed opposed to it. Saying things like it would encourage recklessness with respect to road safety, it attracts a rough/troublesome and hard drinking crowd, they bring crowds but they spend nothing in the local area, etc. All those types of comments. Basically the were all looking for things to say to dismiss or rubbish the proposal.

In the end it never got off the ground anyway and it was something being led by someone who is well established and very well known, successfull and respected in the Irish motorsport scene.

I've been there and completed several laps at full speed (for me) of the Mountain, I wouldn't race the full course but have nothing but respect for those that do, it's quite a test.