If It Had Been A Car, Would It Be News?

[phaedrus]

I feel sorry for the injured lady, but I can't help thinking that the BBC wouldn't have considered this newsworthy if she'd been hit by a powered vehicle...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7662899.stm

 

[redjedi]

Like this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7552253.stm

or this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7660740.stm

or this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7660180.stm

I'm sure there are plenty more if I really looked hard

 

[phaedrus]

Like this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7552253.stm

or this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7660740.stm

or this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7660180.stm

I'm sure there are plenty more if I really looked hard

How about really looking hard for comparable examples, i.e. No-one was killed/seriously injured and no babies in buggies were involved?

 

[redjedi]

But when someone is hit by a car it usually results in quite serious injuries.

We don't know how seriously injured the woman in your story is.

 

[LLB]

Perhaps they feel that a cycle is much easier to control than a car, and thus should be safer......

 

[col]

I couldnt believe how thorough the witness was"the cyclist was traveling fast down a hill and hit some pedestrians"very helpfull witness id say

 

[redjedi]

Perhaps motor vehicle accidents happen so often they are now less of a shock, so not news worthy.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

What were the pedestrians doing in the road I wonder? I wish they had put a bit more!

The cyclist may have been just going about his business, under the 30mph speed limit (or whatever the limit was there) and the pedestrian just did the usual misjudging of the speed of said cyclist.

Who knows? Wonder if the cyclist is okay - I imagine they got some injuries from an impact at high speed.

The only bit I can comment on is when people get annoyed at cyclists travelling "fast". Why shouldn't we do 30 in a 30 zone?!!! (Although in my case it is mainly because I do not have the energy!!!)

 

[Cab]

Perhaps motor vehicle accidents happen so often they are now less of a shock, so not news worthy.

Precisely. Things that happen every day aren't news. Its the oddities that get reported, which is in part why the risks of cycling (and risks posed by cyclists) are so very often over stated.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

The only bit I can comment on is when people get annoyed at cyclists travelling "fast". Why shouldn't we do 30 in a 30 zone?!!! (Although in my case it is mainly because I do not have the energy!!!)

.. I think we're all supposed to be wobbling around at walking pace. I do my best to conform.

 

[HLaB]

I feel sorry for the injured lady, but I can't help thinking that the BBC wouldn't have considered this newsworthy if she'd been hit by a powered vehicle...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7662899.stm

I popped to the Lbs at lunch and despite the roads in Edinburgh being particulary greasy, covered in oil and wet plenty of peds were trying to jump out onto the road in front of people. Quite a few done it to me when I was freewheeling downhill in a bus lane and they had tried crossing between the traffic jammed cars, suddenly appearing from the right. I'm not saying that's what happened there.

 

[gavintc]

I took out a woman in Glasgow recently. Lights had changed, I was just starting to accelerate, was clipping in, when some stupid woman launched herself at me. She folded her body over the handlebars, breaking my light bracket. She had just stepped off the pavement as my lights had changed, what amazed me, was that she was coming toward me. I think she was watching the car behind and completely ruled me out of the danger zone.