Newsbot Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Motorcyclists are treating roads on the Isle of Man like a race track, Manx, police say. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7439518.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannay Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Have they only just noticed this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Ayres Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 No shit Sherlock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentbob Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 You may also be interested to know that young drivers also use our roads as a racetrack. Oh shit, I have become and informer All joking aside, the police are approaching this all from the wrong direction. Q. How many SERIOUS incidents have there been over the years IN the LIMITED sections of the course? A. Very few, if any. Q. Where are all the BAD accidents? A. In the last remaining unrestricted areas of the course. Q. What do we do about this? A. Well, if I could fix all the issues with one line, I would be a god; but as a mere mortal, I can only give you my experience as both a rider and a member of the TT community. Visitors have seen the existing limits extended massively over recent years, the 40mph limit at the bottom of hillberry has been augmented with an additional 60 all the way up to Gate, this is a policy that has been repeated all over the Island. What this does is 'box in' the unlimited areas, so from a rider's point of view, they have even less time to give it some wellie; they get so frustrated by sitting in a line of traffic - their engines overheating - that when they finally do see that white and black end of limit sign, they go crazy. As stated before many times on different road safety related threads YOU WILL NEVER LEGISLATE AGAINST IDIOTS. The ONLY thing that will work is proper strongarm shock tactics, which would be suprisingly easy to setup. 1. Unmarked 'spotters' are deployed around the course, sitting off road with video cameras (or roaming unmarked bikes with cameras), and radios, they sit at known places around the course where the lunatic element can cause serious incidents (Handleys, Alpine, Ginger Hall, Greeba Bends etc etc). 2. 6 Police controls are setup around the course. Grandstand, Laurel Bank, Ballaugh Bridge, Ramsey, Verandah and Hillberry (Chosen as visibility is good, all have off road areas on the left hand side of the road) Temporary 30mph limits put in 400 yards before each control (if not already limited) and cones put in place. Loads of signs, even the blind will know there is a police control coming up sort of thing. 2. Anyone with half a brain can spot a bodybag in the making, usually weaving in and out of traffic, overtaking on bends, generally acting like a complete tit. The spotters however should be bikers, having some Transit Driving PC (no offense, but unless you actually ride a bike, it is difficult to distinguish what a bike is safely capable of) deeming what is dangerous or not would spark over reaction. OK, so now we have eveythign in place, here is what happens... Mr E. Asadeathwish leaves douglas for a lap on his R1 with his buddies Mr I. Amanidiot and Mr Will Bedeadsoon, they head off round the course and start cutting up the traffic; but ofc being mainly limited on the first leg, they generally dont do anything downright stupid, they pass the control at Laurel Bank, and head off north. Exiting Glen Helen, they see the EOL sign, and open up. Dodging oncoming traffic up the Cronk, then then proceed to overtake 2 cars through Handleys. BANG, Spotted, number taken, and Control in Ballaugh informed. They luckily survive to arrive in Ballaugh where they are ushered into the coned off area. First offence, severe ticking off, sit them down in a tent showing pictures and video of accident scenes. details taken, and a Hi Vis Yellow 'card' stuck onto the front of their fairing. "Yellow card for you lot, we catch you again, and you are screwed" Asadeathwish and Amanidiot decide that they don't really want to end up being shovelled into a bucket, yet Will decides that he is gonna fook off and get some more action in. Spotted some miles down the causing another bike to take avoiding action by undertaking him coming into Glen Duff, he is duly ushered into the control at Ramsey, where he is arrested, his bike impounded. Straight to court, license removed, on the boat in the morning thankyou very much. It will VERY SOON become apparent to visitors that you can have fun, you can ride fast, but if you feck about like a cock on our roads, you WILL receive swift and severe punishment. Oh how we need a Jean Hunt type in charge over here. "Stop, you are surrounded by armed bastards" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Ayres Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Sounds like a reasonable plan and not too expensive to set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Well, if I could fix all the issues with one line, I would be a god; but as a mere mortal, I can only give you my experience as both a rider and a member of the TT community.[...] Damn right. Hopefully someone in authority with half a braincell will read this and consider it for next TT (or the MGP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Login Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Q. How many SERIOUS incidents have there been over the years IN the LIMITED sections of the course? A. Very few, if any. Much of what you say makes sense in your long post and I have always stated that we can have as much bad driving and speeding as we are prepared to accept. The day they come down very hard on any aspect of driving as they have with drink driving then that will be the day the vast majority of us change their attitude to that particular aspect of driving. If the consequence of speeding, using a phone, etc is a small fine if caught and a few points then the majority of us as can be seen still do it to a greater or a lesser extent. If it was an instant ban and confiscation of your vehicle then you can be damn sure we would all hit 30 at the sign post, rather be at say 40 and slowing, we would not pick up the mobile if it rang to say we will call you back. However the majority of us would not agree to such a change as it would impinge on us and 99% of us believe we are excellent drivers and it is others who are crettins on the road. Your proposals threfore would be acceptable to the majority and hopefully be a deterent as they woul hit the cretins hard. I also found interesting one statement you made which I have left highlighted above. The logical extension might be therefore to Limit all Island roads to aid road safety. However as soon as you mention that suddenly we are all start showing how high we rate road safety as the majority on the Island would agree no such measure. Ultimately there is always a compromise as whilst I understand the argument about the mountain road being one way over the 2 weeks is a safety issue to me if it was purely a safety issue to stop the racers etc it would be one way anti clockwise. It would also assist in getting the traffic out of Douglas before roads close during practice week. In respect of the mountain road there in my eyes been a trade off between making it as safe as possible whilst not restricting the enjoyment of those who wish to visit the course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentbob Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 The problem is that the more you limit the course, the more you box riders into having as much adrenalin packed action in the space that remains. 99% of our visitors ride round the course with no issues whatsoever, and many of them at high speeds. The issue is not with going fast on a stretch of road, the issue is with many other things including but not exhaustively. Knowledge of the road ahead - Including upcoming limits/hazards Misjudging abilites of one's self or machine to perfom a manouvre - exagerated by the fact that it might be the first time the person tries it at a higher speed (70>90mph takes a lot longer than 50>70mph) Peer Pressure - Sometimes an accident involves a group of bikes travelling together, one gets past a vehicle safely, the other have to push past dangerously to keep up. I have no simple answer to completely safeguarding against RTA deaths as I said before. But I will say that yes, I am ardently against us ever imposing an all Island speed limit. Our last fatal local accident was in a 40mph limit. For some people limits are there to be broken, these are usually the same people who cause either their own, or other's deaths on our roads, and it is THESE people who need to be targetted in a brutal fashion by the police. This is not just for TT, this is 365 days a year. R plates, get caught doing something stupid, YELLOW CARD, get caught again, vehicle GONE, license GONE, brutal but effective. Word gets around fast, no matter who you are or who your father drinks with at the golf club, you are not above the law, and the law is watching you....always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Word gets around fast, no matter who you are or who your father drinks with at the golf club, you are not above the law, and the law is watching you....always. BBC TV licencing will be offering you a job soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silentbob Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Funny you should say that. 'Opinionated self important git with questionable sense of morality and too much time on his hands seek position of authoritah, high salary important, must include stick for beating none conformers' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Funny you should say that. 'Opinionated self important git with questionable sense of morality and too much time on his hands seek position of authoritah, high salary important, must include stick for beating none conformers' I'm sure you're not all that bad. I'd tone it down a bit for the next classifieds if you really want a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Grit Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Hello Each Is anyone aware (discounting the exit at the Hairpin to the entrance near Hillberry) how many miles of the remaining 23 and a wee tad of the course is unrestricted? I ask the question but I am unsure of the answer but I would hazard a guess at around 35% (I could be wrong but I feel that is generous - and I do not mind being proven incorrect) which would equate to around eight miles. Of those mentioned miles they are not set up in a big long huge "give it beans straight" they are broken up with restricted areas. So what is my point? It seems to me that subconsciously people are asking for a restricted road around the unrestricted part of the course and hence asking for the beloved national speed limit. This would then hark back to another post I made about having a national speed limit of 70mph but being able to buy vehicles that can far exceed that law. There is just no logic in that what so ever. But back to the question, does anyone actually know or would anyone like to take the pleasure and prove me wrong as far as unrestricted miles are concerned. I might trial it on Sunday me sen. No harm meant just interested. True Grit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebees Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Oooooi I hate to say it but the police are ace. Security guards need shot but the police (I have seen) have acted with common sense and other things like that which win favour with me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 But back to the question, does anyone actually know or would anyone like to take the pleasure and prove me wrong as far as unrestricted miles are concerned. I might trial it on Sunday me sen. True Grit best be quick, i'm not sure when the 'temporary' speed limit signs get removed and more of the course is then unrestricted. also don't get fooled by the 30mph 200 yards ahead signs that look just like proper signs with some tiny words underneath. by the time you can read the words you've already slowed down cos you think the 30 starts there. ( crafty fuckers ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballaughbiker Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Silentbob - totally agree with everything you say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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