Explained: New Isle of Man TT safety measures after its most lethal year ever
The six competitors who died at the often-notorious evඣ🔯ent in 2022 equalled the all-time record.
A total of 266 fatalities have been r🏅ecorded in its 166-year history but, this year, organisers have stepped up protocols to save riders.
GPS tracking
Ma🦩ndatory ✱GPS tracking devices will be fitted to all competing and non-competing vehicles.
This a꧒ims to give Race Control a greater overview in ca♏se of an emergency.
There will be a non-mandatory rider briefing, af🌟ter qualifying, for their feedb💙ack.
Digital flag system
Black flags will be added to the di🍌gital red flag system which was first introduced last year.
These have been tested f♎or re🧔gular road users before the TT began.
Grid formation
The rules will revert to the 2019 format of using qualifying speed for꧒ racer starts rather tha⛦n number order.
Medical staff on hand
Isle of ꦉMan TT medical chief Dr Gareth Davies told : "We have a system whereby there are trackside medics that will be at the rider's side within a matter of seconds.
"And then we have three different helicopters to support the racing, three response cars, and then about five or six different ambulances. So there's qꩵuite a complඣex network of medical staff there.
"In our daily working lives, we see ꦚpeople going to work that are killed, just travelling on a push bike or an accident on the way to work.
"We see people who may be undertak൲ing climbing or other sporti🅺ng activities. So it's not alien to see people injured.
"From o💯ur point of view. I think we very much see the racing as a huge challenge, a huge sort o🍷f celebration of the human spirit, and we're here to support them."
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a dec🧜ade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
