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Rally Visitors and Spectators
Regular rally spectators know that there is nothing more exciting than
watching powerful cars competing on some of the fastest tarmac stages in
Europe. Fast cars and pedestrians can be a potentially dangerous
combination, especially as drivers fight to shave tenths of a second off
their time. With an ever growing crowd of people eager to share the
excitement of one of the most popular rally event in the UK , the safety
of drivers, spectators and marshals continues to be a top priority.
Promoting safety while rallying and making the event as safe as possible
for all involved.
All Event Officials, Marshals, Timekeepers, Medical Crews and Recovery Teams
are volunteers. It is physically impossible for marshals to cover every
yard of a 10-mile stage, therefore organisers rely on spectators to obey
the warning signs, act sensibly and think about their your own safety.
Rally cars can travel faster than motorway traffic, but are often on narrow,
twisting roads. Please do not walk, stand, sit or cycle on a special stage
road or at a junction where a car might slide off the road.
Remember on the Isle of Man roads are closed under an act of Tynwald
(Manx Parliament). Walking on a stage can mean you are liable to prosecution
for breaking the law.
The National Rally has an excellent safety record and to keep it that way they
need your help. Follow the safety guidelines in the programme and on the
signs at special stages. If you are asked to move by the marshals or the
safety cars that run in front of the first competitors, please do so. If you
or other spectators stand in a dangerous place, the stage will be cancelled
(a stage was cancelled in 2004 due to a lack of marshals compared to the
large number of spectators) and everyone will miss out on the excitement
of seeing top rally drivers in action.
Rally cars are being driven on the limit, so accidents can - and do - happen.
Response to incidents involving competitors will be covered by on site and call outs to a wide range of highly-skilled support services capable of handling the most severe incidents.
Before an incident can be dealt with control will need to know what has
happened and where. We therefore have a network of radio operators on each
special stage, linked through our control centre to all the senior officials.
Based on the information received from the marshals and radio operators, a
decision is taken on what response is required.
There is always a minimum of one doctor or paramedic available to respond,
a rally rescue ambulance staffed with trained volunteers, plus a recovery
vehicle, again crewed by trained volunteers, all of whom can reach the
scene of an accident quickly.
Remember to keep safe, think before you act. If you are not a local visit and
have not yet booked to come over to the island. Check out the details before
for more informtion on getting to the island and where to stay.
Accommodation
Hotel accommodation, bed and breakfast, self catering, camping. Since both the Manx International Rally and the Manx
(National) Rally occure in the summer months it is best to book early, though
accommodation should not be too hard to find.
Transport
There are two ways to get to the Isle of Man, by boat or by air.
Flights are available, though are seen as a more expensive way to get on and
off the Island. Many choose to come by boat from England and Ireland, which
is more cost effective and has higher passenger availability. It can be very
cheap on the boat if you come as a foot passenger without a motor vehicle
(Bicycles must be checked in, but are FREE). Note that boats (ferries)
are subject to the weather and can be delayed or even canceled
in bad weather. Consider this carefully if you have a restricted time frame
for your visit (ie connecting boat/ferry, etc).
Watching the Rally
Not all the rally stages are in remote areas, though some are. Spectators
should be able to see some of the action from town locations. If you are
planning to drive to a rally location, check the road closures before you
set out and park.
Manx International Rally
Memorial Hall
Union Mills
Isle of Man
IM4 4AD
Tel: +44 (0) 1624 852440
Fax: +44 (0) 1624 852441
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