Manslaughter charge

Why not? No one forced him to ride down the strip.

The rider, by riding the bike at all, has made a public statement that they
are pleased to accept the dangers involved in taking part in competition.

Dave

 

So, the competitor should satisfy themselves that the strip is fit for
use prior to racing or not race?

Even though they may not be trained in the requirements for the strip?

And the organiser, by holding the event, has accepted that they are
responsible for ensuring that the facilities for the event meet the
defined standards to minimise the known risks of dangerous motorsport.

--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

You're making the logic faeries cry.

 

Well they aren't very big so I can't see any dangerous speed being
reached across them.

I agree, motorsports are dangerous and likewise to take part in them
everyone should be aware of the risks, however, the point you are not
grasping is that the organiser and the competitor have different
responsibilities for the event, the organiser is responsible for the
venue and the competitor is responsible for the vehicle.

I agree, you can't regulate for every eventuality.

--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

To a point. What if the strip has a pothole in and the organiser has
said it's safe?

 

This may add a little more detail:
url:
http://www.iommgp.com/idealbb/view.asp?mode=viewtopic&topicID=5767&forumID
=3&catID=

Quote:
"Racing deaths are saddening but a reality of IOM races, this however was
very preventable.

When I arrived at Port Erin the sprint was just about to start, the
organisers were returning from the finish area in a van and were arguing
about something, I don't know as to what but they weren't happy. With
that they instructed that the first runs were sighting runs for
competitors to get a feel for the track. From the startline I couldn't
work out where the finish was in relation to the lifeboat house and the
obvious curve in the road. The races started and my friend and I walked
up the left handside of the track on top of the buildings,I was intrigued
with the finish and wanted to see how it was laid out. A green kawasaki
started its run, it sped past and my friend managed to take a photo, we
then heard the impact. We walked as far as the timing lights and wanted
to walk no further, there was little sign of the bike as it had gone over
the harbour wall and ambulances were further on up surrounding, I
assumed, the injured rider. There were marks on the road where I guess
the bikes brakes locked up and lowsided the bike just past the timing
lights. Looking at the timing lights, the lifeboat house, the bend and
the lack of crash protection I stood in shock, who would be stupid enough
to set-up a sprint where the finish line was closely followed by a bend.
With hindsight we can see the errors of our ways but this was obvious
before the first bike even started. The kawasaki went through there at
102.6mph, think about that and think about the port erin harbour, its
sickened me to my stomache. Even with the the instruction given of a
sighting run even on 3/4 throttle I wouldn't have wanted to make that
bend myself. These aren't seasoned racers, they are joe public "run what
u brung" you and me and the authorities and organisers have a
responsibilty to protect the public from blatant risks. I hope this is
the last port erin sprint and that this makes the system for acquiring
permits to run events a lot more stringent.

My thourghts are with the family and friends, a needless trajedy.


Posted: 05/09/2004 20:10:46 "

 

Ben wrote

Don't talk about potholes. I hit a kin *huge* one today. Rattled me
nuts it did. I wouldn't mind but it was on a main road [Epping through
to Barkingside somewhere but main enough to have an A number]

 

Hmm.

I can think of more deserving causes for cash donations at this point
in time.

 

[snip tale of avoidable woe]

Thanks (I think) for that, terrible state of affairs.

--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

<snip>

On reading that, I agree. To have a sprint course with the braking area
of the track on a bend in the road next to a harbour wall is nothing
short of fuckwitted negligence.


--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

Don't be daft. One of the reasons the competitor pays license fees and a
competition entry fee is so that he will be indemnified against accidents.

 

Could have been lots of other things though. This is speculation surely.

This is what scrutineering is for.

 

Indeed I was speculating however Swellers post clarifies it a little
although it is a biased view.

Although not all eventualities can be inspected for, if you aren't
looking for it you won't find it sort of thing.


--
Martin:
"For a minute there, you bored me to death."
VTR1000 Firestorm
TDR250 http://ukrm.net/BIKES/Yamaha/tdr250.html
martin dot smith nine zero three at ntlworld dot com

 

Hmm, I noticed the way the account went from describing the road after the
finish as a curve to describing it as a bend.

Here's an aerial photo. The RNLI lifeboat house is the white builing
halfway along the quay.

http://www.porterinlifeboat.iofm.net/largeimageframe/image23a.htm

A picaresque if rather risky place to hold a sprint IMO.

True, and only a fool would enter a speed event knowing there was a defect
on his bike but hoping it would get past the scrutineers.

I have met Trevor Duckworth on several occasions. He's a great guy who has
devoted most of his spare time in the last 30 years to straightline sport.
He wouldn't knowingley put anyone at undue risk, I hope that he get all
the support he needs to cover his legal costs, I'll be making a donation
in the new year. It'll be a dark day for motorsport if he loses.

 

tallbloke says...

I don't know anyone who's won a drag or sprinting event who was any good
round the corners

 

pictureskew, surely?

 

Certainly not on proper sprint rear tyres which are a bit square edged. In
this case it was a run wot yer brung roadbike though. To be fair my brother
is much better at sprinting than hillclimbs. In fact his last outing on
Barbon hillclimb in august ended with a helicopter ride to Lancaster
General...

 

tallbloke says...

Oi!

Will you cancel that post please, I'm waiting for Champ or Bear to bite.

 

I don't know. First on topic post I've made for days and he wants me to
cancel it!

 

Bear says...

See, proves my theory. There must have been bends on the courses used.