Organisers in a 'more proactive position' when addressing safety concerns around the Isle of Man TT

• Paul Phillips, Head of Motorsport at the Isle of Man Government

Organisers of the Isle of Man TT say they are "in a much more proactive position" to address some safety concerns around the racing for this year.

Paul Phillips, Head of Motorsport at the Isle of Man Government said: "There is this inherent risk in racing motorcycles on a public road circuit, and that is part of the fabric of the TT.

"Attached to doing anything like that, there are lots of other risks that are avoidable and risks that can be taken out and I think that we're in a much more proactive position than I think we were in the past with some of those elements."

"I'd probably describe it as a change of culture with how things are delivered".

Five competitors died during last year's TT, and sidecar passenger Olivier Lavorel succumbed to his injuries later that year in October.

Organisers say they are taking a number of steps to make the races safer.

These include an updated Safety Management System (SMS) which involves a digital red flag system and a new fast-response vehicle.

For this year, a new GPS system is being introduced tracking every competitor and non-competing vehicle giving the Race Control team more of a an overview in an emergency.

Additional rider briefings will also take place halfway through qualifying week for competitors to give feedback, and for organisers to address any concerns.

• "It does get tough" - Gary Thompson, Clerk of the TT Course

Gary Thompson manages the racing aspect of the event from the Control Tower, with specific responsibility for safety during the racing.

He leads many of the safety briefings given to the riders, and coordinates the emergency response when accidents occur.

He said: "The main thing is that we've got to deal with the incident, get the casualty to hospital as quickly as possible through the emergency services and get the riders that are out on the course back to the Grandstand safely."

When asked about dealing with accidents he said: "It does get tough, yeah".

"I've been doing this job for 11 years, and you build up relationships with riders. I know some riders better than others and if it's somebody you know, it does hit home. But you've got to park that and deal with it in your own time really."

Organisers describe this as 'the beginning of a never-ending process to improve the levels of safety at the Isle of Man TT races, which continues apace in 2023.'

The Isle of Man TT 2023 takes place from Monday 29 May to Friday 10 June.

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