People have been saying bikes are getting too fast for 100 years now.  I think if you want to make it safer then take away the emphasis on lap records and fastest this or fastest that.  That said, I do accept that riders will always want to try and go faster - that's kind of the point isn't it?

For an example, at least in my opinion, about how a newcomer should tackle the TT, I would point you at Dan Cooper.  No big fanfare when he arrived and he's just steadily built speed every time he goes out.  Time is on his side - although he's been around for ever he's still in his 20s, so I've no doubt he'll get somewhere near the top and done so without scaring anyone out of their wits.

Back to my example of TT riders racing 4 abreast at the NW200 & UGP, the length of the track or the race are not relevant.  What matters is that the scenery there is hard and hurts when you hit it, just the same as the TT but the riders will and do race wheel to wheel (at biblically high speeds) and they will come across (for want of a better term) back markers.

If it's unsafe to have riders in proximity at the TT then why do the solos set off in pairs in practice? 

Anyhow, trying to get back to the original point of the thread - something else I'd like to change would be riders having the same numbers in every race.  I'd change the numbers of the top guys around a bit for each race, just to alter the dynamic of the race a bit.  Anyone notice how it's become almost common place to have multiple winners in a week since this regimentation of numbering started?