The Transatlantic Way (TAW)

What does everyone think about this?

I'm not a fan of the 3 hour idea (as I've posted elsewhere). If I believed it would make things safer, I'd be all for it but I don't as I think the problem is not riders nodding off, but motorists not paying attention.

While I'm certain Adrian means well, I feel it is implicitly blaming victims by saying that riding long hours with inadequate lighting led to them being hit. I don't believe that and don't want it to become the dominant narrative.

I think what is behind it is that people generally want to believe that they are in control of things: wear a helmet / hi-viz, loads of lights, etc and you will be ok. But, when it comes to being hit from behind by a car in the night, I dont' think we are in control. It comes out of the blue and you wouldn't have time to react or probably even know about it. That makes people very uncomfortable, so they try to come up with strategies to avoid it. But, unfortunately, they don't work, because the problem lies elsewhere, with the 1 motorist in 1,000,000 who is not paying attention.

Normally we all sleep more than 3 hours each night so mostly it would not make any difference. But occasionally there is a good reason to ride through. It might be an opportunity to grab extra kms. But (in my experience) it has also been a need to avoid bad weather, or need to reach shelter / food / water, etc. Then it would be a pain to have to break the rules to do what was actually the safest and most sensible thing.

I think it is less inappopriate for TAW where there are no big mountains, but it would be more harmful on TCR / IPWR / TABR, where you genuinely might have to get off the mountain to shelter before the storm comes, or get to the roadhouse before it closes at midnight so you can have food and water for the next day.

Also I can't see the justification in allowing riders to ride through on their last night. I can't see why being knackered is going to be safer on your last day than it was the day before. And also, you don't always know it is going to be your last night - you need to make the call a few hundred km out and the going might be slower, mechanicals, etc, and have to stretch into another day.

What does everyone think about this?

Knee jerk reaction, one to keep Adrian's concience clear. But as said, his race his rules. Don't like it don't race. And tehre have been lots of entrants so people must be OK.

I am with @frank9755 that the 3h sleep mandatory could be dangerous, however I have spoken with adrian, and he's said it will be releaxed if people need, so I hope this is conveyed.

I also worry a lot, that someone will die again in one of the races without the 3h rule, then the media will say well it was the riders fault. Then I will be unhappy.

It is putting the blame onto riders.

Hey @Thrasher, are you able to add a link to the tracking site in your first post please?!? Ta

Seriously, it's taken me a year to see this thread? I need to get out of my Favourites a bit more often...