Opinion

Road racing doubts after latest death

THE death of Malachy Mitchell-Thomas at the North West 200 on Saturday means that there have been 14 fatalities during events staged on Northern Ireland courses since 2001. There were seven deaths during the 90s, eight in the 80s and a shocking 11 in the 1970s. Going back to the start of the 1940s there have been almost 50 fatalities.

That means 50 families bereaved. Wives and children of many left mourning. Man, many friends and supporters of the sport grieving for someone they admired and loved.

By any standard that is a horrifying loss of life in the name of sport and the list does not include other courses in Britain such as the Isle of Man or tracks in the south of Ireland.

It must be recognised that organisers of meetings have gone to enormous lengths to make road racing as safe as possible. Anyone who lives near any of the regularly used courses knows that for weeks before meetings officials are in attendance putting bails of hay and various types of cushioning around any potential obstacle that a rider might come into contact with.

However, despite all that effort to make road racing safe the deaths of riders like Englishman Malachy Mitchell-Thomas, aged just 20, keep on occurring. Ryan Farquhar, a popular local racer, is still in hospital with serious injuries after a fall earlier in the week and two other riders were also hospitalised.

Relatives of racers killed in accidents have in the past indicated that their loved ones died competing in a sport they loved. But is personal choice the only factor that should be taken into account?

With the advancement in technology riders in the North West 200 now reach speeds in and around 200 mph. All the evidence would suggest that the technology attempting to provide safety for motorcyclists cannot keep up with the technology allowing them to go faster and faster.

While it is true that there are many thousands of people who love to watch motorcycle road racing and there are undoubtedly many people who love to compete in those races it is important that safety is given the highest priority. To that end it is essential that those responsible for organising events continue to strive for the highest level of safety possible, investing in the best equipment and arrangements.

However if the list of fatalities continues to grow surely the future of this sport must be in doubt.