Mountain Watch

[piebaps]

S'OK BJ - just the two.

[Non-Believer]

"Gloves are off up there...people getting their toes down and pushing on in their unsuitable shitheaps"....

[Rhumsaa]

13 hours ago, asitis said:

I have banged on for years about the dichotomy which is the " Petrolheads Mecca, come ride the course etc etc" and the conflicting desire to keep people safe.

I have no problem with the TT it's a spectacle on the "course" for skilled riders who compete knowing the risks.  The rest of the time its the A18 Ramsey road ! and should be policed as such!

I think I have my own dichotomy in that I share that exact thought process of the conflicting Government message around TT but I would not like to have an island wide speed limit imposed upon us

[dilligaf]

On 8/16/2020 at 10:23 PM, dilligaf said:

Shocking totally. Worse thing is the very intended plugging of our roads as “ The Course” Everything you read is full of “road racing capital of the world “ or very similar adverts. One at the moment on MR is with the English female declaring that “racing is in the islands bluuuud “.We need to get away from that image, not try to enhance it. Our government pay millions to encourage speed on one hand, then pretend they want to help us by cynically altering speed limits, where there is no problem.

As is often the case , I got that a bit wrong. She states that “ motorcycling is in the island’s bluuuuud” ( not racing).The same image is portrayed though, that it is bike heaven. The ad seems to be jointly bike training and Jason Griffiths Motorcycles. Sorry for the error.

[flaps]

15 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

People often talk about separation of the TT figures. Well, you can’t. There’s lots of other places in the British Isles and abroad that run festivals that attract higher levels of traffic. The issue arises with this misnomer that “they only come for the hoon “ and if we put up restrictions and carry out heavier enforcement we will ‘ruin’ the TT. 

Theres actually a very strong case for derestricted roads to be limited during TT on the grounds of safety. It has a strong evidence base, which is what the government asserts will lead action for change. It’s there in black and white in their road safety policy. 

 

Totally agree. I don't buy the "It'll ruin the TT" argument at all. I've been a motorcyclist for 30 years. I've been to WSB, NW200 etc. At no point have I ever heard anyone say "I really fancy going to the NW,/motogp etc but there's speed limits so I won't bother". If there are a small number who will stop coming to the IOM because we clamp down on road safety, then surely that's a good thing? We don't want nutters here driving like twats. And as the island is full each year, their place will be taken by others, who hopefully want to live to come back next year.

There are popular sporting events that attract large numbers of visitors the world over. Nowhere else would accept our road casualties as "just how it is".

I don't think the TT in some way makes us a special case, as it says in the road safety strategy. Visitors should be expected to drive with the same care as always. 

The problem with having no speed limit at all, is that it removes a handy tool for prosecution. If somebody is driving far too fast for the road, the police have nothing to get them with, as technically they're not breaking the law. They can't bring it to court, as it's too subjective, whereas, if there's say, a 40 limit, and someone is doing 90, it's clear cut. Licence removed.

[dilligaf]

So yet again the mountain road is shut. Is that twice today ? Get a limit now.

edit to ad , that only today, driving back from Peel , I had to take evasive actions to avoid collisions  Two were car drivers not looking and the third, an HGV that pulled across the road in front of me, just because he could. Standard of driving is getting worse despite the amount of training available. I think drivers don’t care because there is little come back. The lack of an overall speed limit allows people with cars having more BHP that their drivers CPU to travel at speeds quicker than their reaction times. Never ends well.

Edited August 18, 2020 by dilligaf

[dilligaf]

 

https://www.motorsportauctions.com/category/331/National-Category-Rally-Cars/listings/41202/Ford-Escort-Mk2-Rally-Car.html 
 

Now if I had this, I could be persuaded to rethink the limits

[Terminal]

1 hour ago, dilligaf said:

So yet again the mountain road is shut. Is that twice today ? Get a limit now.

edit to ad , that only today, driving back from Peel , I had to take evasive actions to avoid collisions  Two were car drivers not looking and the third, an HGV that pulled across the road in front of me, just because he could. Standard of driving is getting worse despite the amount of training available. I think drivers don’t care because there is little come back. The lack of an overall speed limit allows people with cars having more BHP that their drivers CPU to travel at speeds quicker than their reaction times. Never ends well.

Douglas to Peel has limits all the way now doesn’t it?

So why are you crying for a limit on the mountain? You probably never go up there anyway...just like everyone else calling for a limit up there. 

[dilligaf]

8 minutes ago, Terminal said:

Douglas to Peel has limits all the way now doesn’t it?

So why are you crying for a limit on the mountain? You probably never go up there anyway...just like everyone else calling for a limit up there. 

I drove for a living for about 35 years. Have driven more than 1,000,000 miles and have been over the mountain more than 3000 times. I love speed and have driven over the mountain at speeds some bikers would be proud of. That was then, but this is now. A different world where accountability rules. Far too many idiots out there unable to control their vehicles. Cars are getting faster, but brains aren’t. Same applies to the TT. Bikes are too fast for human reactions. That i# why limits are needed.

quick edit to say that Peel to Douglas is not all limited. Pay attention.

Edited August 18, 2020 by dilligaf

[asitis]

8 hours ago, Rhumsaa said:

I think I have my own dichotomy in that I share that exact thought process of the conflicting Government message around TT but I would not like to have an island wide speed limit imposed upon us

The lack of speed limit relies heavily on common sense to be appropriate, sadly common sense is not that common !!

[Frances]

there are two long sections of the Peel to Douglas that are, out of TT season, unlimited but the 40mph limits do seem to expand each year - catch is that the traffic also seems to increase each year and also more estates feeding onto the road.

[Derek Flint]

23 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

 

Admittedly the attitude creating this situation may be being added to by the publicity aimed at visitors - but do local driving standards need to be raised and/or limitations increased because of the lack of them?

Yes - part of the ‘safer people’ of the NRSS

10 hours ago, Rhumsaa said:

I think I have my own dichotomy in that I share that exact thought process of the conflicting Government message around TT but I would not like to have an island wide speed limit imposed upon us

The strategy doesn’t support one either. What it does support is an evidence based approach to the issue. To quote;

”Speed limits will not be considered on a blanket basis, rather on a case by case basis, informed by evidence.”

(NRSS. Page 14 para 7.5,)

and thus, we have the usual inconsistency of approach to policy that prevails in IOMG.

it gets done some places, but not on the holy ground that is the A18 https://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/40mph-zone-coming-to-st-marks/ 

it is important however to remember that speed is only part of the issue. There is a massive amount of work to do across the strategy, and very little apparent interest or progress. That may be a Communications issue, with loads going on behind the scenes, but if it is, that needs sorting out too. Quickly.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Derek Flint

[piebaps]

14 hours ago, dilligaf said:

So yet again the mountain road is shut. Is that twice today ? Get a limit now.

It seems the evidence based approach which Flint Eastwood mentions doesn't apply to making snap judgements about the causes of accidents.

[Non-Believer]

Red Citroen hatchback parked in the grass verge at Brandywell northbound now, all taped off. Looks like it's either gone straight on or slid off sideways. One of yesterday's?

And some fine skidmarks and damaged verge turf at the north bound exit of Bungalow bridge corner ((Les Graham's). It's all normal service resumed apparently.

[The Duck of Atholl]

15 hours ago, Terminal said:

Douglas to Peel has limits all the way now doesn’t it?

So why are you crying for a limit on the mountain? You probably never go up there anyway...just like everyone else calling for a limit up there. 

no still unrestricted at points between St Johns and Peel