Safe Speed Forums

Try this link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs ... 409668.stm

I feel a serious complaint coming on. Earlier I rang and complained to the News 24 news desk. They promised to get the producers to ring me back. They never did.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Hi Paul,
Can you tell me a bit more about this please, and maybe it is my lpatop, but not able to get the recording to stay clear.
Thanks.

_________________
belladonna
'Wisdom is knowing how little we know'
Socrates

Hi Paul,
Can you tell me a bit more about this please, and maybe it is my laptop, but not able to get the recording to stay clear.
Thanks.

_________________
belladonna
'Wisdom is knowing how little we know'
Socrates

I sent the following complaint text:

The Road Safety Week 'introduction' report shown a number of times today was grossly misleading about the role of speeding in crashes. The figures regarding impact speed were erroneously assumed to apply directly to free travelling speed. This is hugely misleading about how road safety works in practice. Brake have been informed about this error but choose to ignore it. It is DANGEROUS to transmit misleading road safety information. I rang to point this out and spoke to the News 24 newsdesk. They promised me that the producers of the piece would call me back. They never did.

... via the BBC complaints form at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_co ... tep1.shtml

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Try this link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news_w ... 6x9_bb.asx

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

The girl was hit on a pedestrian crossing, for heavens sake.
WTF did that have to do with speed?
They should ask that reporter if she's aware of how much distance she'd covered while she took her eyes off the road for two seconds while she was talking to the camera. 88ft? That, IMHO, probably had far more to do with the accident than anything else.

Cheers
Peter

_________________
Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

Amazing the report focuses on speed and yet a minute into it we see a classic pedestrian running between the free flowing traffic and just as the reporter states that if we slowed down blah blah she takes absolutely no notice of the developing hazard of an un signalled U turn by another driver.

Dreadful

_________________
Former Military Police Officer and accident investigator

and more to the point there video shows quite a few idiots dashing in front of cars and yet they don't choose to point out that pedestrians ultimately are responsible for their own safety.

edit: snap

edit 2: I thought she was going to hit that car to prove a point about how we should slow down. doh!

Yet another example of poor driving by a reporter supposedly covering road safety issues.

Thanks

_________________
belladonna
'Wisdom is knowing how little we know'
Socrates

I know this bit road where she was hit.
It is very very busy.
In the space of 1/2 mile there is about 3 sets if traffic lights, 4 pubs, loads of curry houses and take away's, cars parked every where. Drunk students staggering across the road, it is grid locked for most of the time. It has a 30 mph limit. The only time you would be able to do that speed is at late night or early morning.

What time was she hit?

_________________
Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

if asked she'd no doubt explain that she was only doing 20mph so it must have been safe.

While that's true, I don't think it's the point. Reporters should be neutral and we do not expect them to be skilled in the subject matter they are reporting on.

The thing that annoys me is that they repeated false road safety dogma with applying a basic test of reasonableness. If they had applied a test of reasonableness the dogma would have failed.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Ah! but to be fair Patch she did swerve around it at the last second and at the correct speed.

Why?

You wouldn't accept that situation if they were reporting on the stock exchange.

They have "experts" in every other field, why not motoring?

Perhaps we should refer to the propaganda thread?

A more accurate version of the slogan perhaps should be:
If you hit me at 40 mph I'll die
If you hit me at 30 mph I'll die
If my mum taught me how to cross the road, you wouldn't hit me!

Just going back to the appalling driving by the reporter, listen to the engine note - it never changes, showing she never altered her speed. Also, look at the rear view mirror, she never looked into it. The swerve was a knee jerk reaction. Did the turning driver look at her? Had he realised she'd failed to react to his manoeuver? What would have happened if he had continued to reverse, that pedestrian on the pavement would have been hit.

OK the guy didn't indicate, but it was pretty clear what he was going to do, well unless he had an unnatural desire to ram scaffolding.

It looks like she was doing around 20, so mirror, slow to a halt and wait for him to complete the turn.

I just re-ran the video, and several things sprung to my attention,
(a)The pedestrian dashing between cars was stupid - but the oncoming vehicle made no attempt to slow for him, and he changes direction at the last minute, placing himself in further danger.
(b) The reporter fails to slow and stop for the vehicle attempting the U-turn - mindful of his need to reverse to complete the manouvre.
(c) The bit where she talks to camera is simply shocking - the BBC's health and Safety people should be having words with her!!

Finally, the overall mesage was better driving standards required, AND better standards of behaviour from ALL OTHER parties too!

The BRAKE spokespersons plea for Government prime time advertising is one I would agree with - but NOT to concentrate on speeding, but all aspects of road safety.

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Has anyone here ever made a mistake or an error of judgement while crossing the road?

Yes I'll admit I have, but fortunately I was able to accelerate out of danger on me ol' trotters! I felt very embarrassed and annoyed with myself about it though.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

In this case we should and must. She was driving a car for which she had (allegedly) proved her competence by way of satisfying some person from the ministry of her safety and competence. She is thus skilled in the subject. Yet here she is seen driving without due care and attention

This was to introduce "Road Safety Awareness Week". IMO, the key word should be "Awareness". She was not fully aware of her surroundings and so would be more of a danger than someone driving slightly over the speed limit who exercised proper hazard awareness and hazard management.

Speed doesn't kill; inattention does

_________________
Will