Road-racing is far too dangerous

THERE’S something thrilling about danger. There’s something exhilarating about it and the fear that it generates. A rush of adrenaline does wonders for us. It makes us feel alive. Anybody who’s had a close call while driving and reacts with a nervous laugh knows what we’re talking about.

We can get a vicarious kick from it too. Watch the footage of riders haring around the Isle of Man TT circuit and you cannot but admire these men’s skill and bravery. Even watching from the safety of your living room you can feel your heart-rate speed up just a little – what it must be like for the guys at the helm of these wonderful machines we can only imagine. The rush must be indescribable.

The danger, however, is all too real as events of the past month have laid bare. Just two weeks ago William Dunlop died following an accident at the Skerries 100. He’s the third member of his family to suffer that fate following in the footsteps of his famous uncle Joey and father Robert.

We’re not going to sit here and judge the decisions made by these men. We’re not going to criticise them as irresponsible. It was in their blood and it was sanctioned by various authorities and it’s with those authorities that we find blame.

Road racing is just too dangerous to be allowed. The deaths are far too frequent (eight in the last two years at the Isle of Man). It can’t be allowed continue it is. Racing belongs on a track with run off and gravel tracks, not on public roads. The sport is an anachronism, out of step with the modern world. Our vicarious thrill isn’t worth the loss of young men’s lives.