fenman
Senior Member
- Location
- yaxley peterborough
happy to help get as many signatures as i can ie.all the sportives that i ride also will send e-mail to all club members (st ives c.c. also to other clubs in this area,
No10 Petition thread
- Thread starter ComedyPilot
- Start date
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Headgardener
Armchair Cyclist
With you there Snail and should recieve the applicable sentancing as well. Not much good at thinking up important sounding sentances but once it is up and running I will put a link on my facebook page. Oh and I will sign it as well.
RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
CP this is a most worthy cause!
I thought perhaps I would describe, from what I gleaned when I was in industry, how lobbying for change within government was done. Since the context of what I used to be involved in is different, I must stress I am not saying this is how we should do it now, but just in case some experience there is useful for reference.
A campaign would likely be in two phases.
The first phase is to get as many ideas as possible on the table.
But to increase the chance of success, the second phase needs to be structured, and it helps to start with a vision of the end in mind. For the sake of discussion, the end is perhaps a commitment by a key decision maker, who is likely to be a politician who may or may not be the PM, that leads to effective action, which might be legislation.
The thought process and work might then be something like this:
1) accepting that politicians will be more likely to support what is good for their popularity/electoral success, develop a straw man (a draft proposal that is to be shot at and improved on) that firstly illuminates alignment to that interest as well as for the greater good, and secondly addresses how opposition from interest groups who will be negatively impacted could be countered effectively by the decision maker. Simply saying what we want and what is good is natural, but might undersell our viewpoint.
2) identify potential supportive influencers and experts, perhaps ministers in the Department of Transport, the Mayor or well placed professional lobbyists who are regular cyclists, and find out if they are willing to give us some time individually to discuss and advice. The success or failure of something like this is partly the proposal, partly how it is delivered, and partly what other supporting voices can be corralled to bear on the decision maker. Just a letter to the PM might work, but might be more dependent on luck than is necessary.
3) Based on what is known and advice received, work like mad to deliver the right message and the right environment for reception at the right time.
As I said I am not saying the above is the process we should adopt here, but was ime how campaigns were mounted by a multi billion £ corporation. For example, any politician who wishes to legislate for cyclists might worry about alienating a greater population of drivers, it might help if we could propose a solution that navigates that. I am no expert, but depending on what the law says perhaps only a relatively small change in policy in the department of the Director of Public Prosecution which is under the Attorney General would do the trick, hence a clear vision of the end at the beginning and expert advice along the way could be important.
Just my 2 cents. Would be delighted to help further whichever way I can.
I thought perhaps I would describe, from what I gleaned when I was in industry, how lobbying for change within government was done. Since the context of what I used to be involved in is different, I must stress I am not saying this is how we should do it now, but just in case some experience there is useful for reference.
A campaign would likely be in two phases.
The first phase is to get as many ideas as possible on the table.
But to increase the chance of success, the second phase needs to be structured, and it helps to start with a vision of the end in mind. For the sake of discussion, the end is perhaps a commitment by a key decision maker, who is likely to be a politician who may or may not be the PM, that leads to effective action, which might be legislation.
The thought process and work might then be something like this:
1) accepting that politicians will be more likely to support what is good for their popularity/electoral success, develop a straw man (a draft proposal that is to be shot at and improved on) that firstly illuminates alignment to that interest as well as for the greater good, and secondly addresses how opposition from interest groups who will be negatively impacted could be countered effectively by the decision maker. Simply saying what we want and what is good is natural, but might undersell our viewpoint.
2) identify potential supportive influencers and experts, perhaps ministers in the Department of Transport, the Mayor or well placed professional lobbyists who are regular cyclists, and find out if they are willing to give us some time individually to discuss and advice. The success or failure of something like this is partly the proposal, partly how it is delivered, and partly what other supporting voices can be corralled to bear on the decision maker. Just a letter to the PM might work, but might be more dependent on luck than is necessary.
3) Based on what is known and advice received, work like mad to deliver the right message and the right environment for reception at the right time.
As I said I am not saying the above is the process we should adopt here, but was ime how campaigns were mounted by a multi billion £ corporation. For example, any politician who wishes to legislate for cyclists might worry about alienating a greater population of drivers, it might help if we could propose a solution that navigates that. I am no expert, but depending on what the law says perhaps only a relatively small change in policy in the department of the Director of Public Prosecution which is under the Attorney General would do the trick, hence a clear vision of the end at the beginning and expert advice along the way could be important.
Just my 2 cents. Would be delighted to help further whichever way I can.
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
Well done CP.
Just two points-
If it is broadened to be too wide then the solution is not so clear. If it is about cyclists getting killed then the answer may be seen as separating the cyclists and the cars. Lob in motorcyclists and the answer is tricky.
The "Green" credentials of cycling are clear, there is more money and will to go "green" than there is to "improve our roads" (I think road capital projects seem to have just about stopped) so there may be more willingness to throw money at a green scheme rather than a safety scheme even if the actual thing done is the same.
Just two points-
If it is broadened to be too wide then the solution is not so clear. If it is about cyclists getting killed then the answer may be seen as separating the cyclists and the cars. Lob in motorcyclists and the answer is tricky.
The "Green" credentials of cycling are clear, there is more money and will to go "green" than there is to "improve our roads" (I think road capital projects seem to have just about stopped) so there may be more willingness to throw money at a green scheme rather than a safety scheme even if the actual thing done is the same.
OP
OP
ComedyPilot
Secret Lemonade Drinker
- Location
- The Kingdom of Yorkshire
Come on folks, add your own ideas for 'Petition to:'
RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
OP
OP
ComedyPilot
Secret Lemonade Drinker
- Location
- The Kingdom of Yorkshire
That might be the second today, Bradley Wiggins tweeted about hearing a young lad had been killed near where he lives!
RIP
Petition to: Have the goverment act to address the cycling fatalities on the UK's roads
Petition to: Make Cycling Safer
Petition to: Encourage a more responsible attitude among motorists towards vulnerable road users.
Petition to: Improve the response of the police and courts towards complaints by cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Petition to: Make Cycling Safer
Petition to: Encourage a more responsible attitude among motorists towards vulnerable road users.
Petition to: Improve the response of the police and courts towards complaints by cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Sorry, I'm late to this thread, but count me in on wording, proof reading, anything else I can do.
I agree that maybe it needs to not be entirely cycling specific. Just make people drive better, and think about the consequences of carelessness. These two sum it up for me.
Petition to: Encourage a more responsible attitude among motorists towards vulnerable road users.
Petition to: Improve the response of the police and courts towards complaints by cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
I agree that maybe it needs to not be entirely cycling specific. Just make people drive better, and think about the consequences of carelessness. These two sum it up for me.
Petition to: Encourage a more responsible attitude among motorists towards vulnerable road users.
Petition to: Improve the response of the police and courts towards complaints by cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Hooray my message is getting out!!
For all who want to know what I'm about check the "save a cyclist campaign" thread!
Please, please let our campaign be involved in the petition, on facebook we've got nearly 1000 followers in 24 hours! Keep using the #saveacyclist hash tag as well and join the group http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Save-a-cyclist-campaign/187240304636842
How about petition to: introduce more severe sentences for motorists who cause death by dangerous driving
Or petition to: introduce more severe sentences for motorists who cause death or injury to vulnerable road users by dangerous driving
We'd need to use the correct terminology for 'dangerous driving' .
I've joined the Facebook campaign.
EDIT: It would be good if we could think of a phrase that wasn't so 'us and them' and promote respect between all road users.
sounds good to me!
Any petition of this sort is going to get 99% support by cyclists. Which means the campaign objectives and words need to be targeted at:
1) Getting the message to as many of the 99% so support/vote is just a click away.
2) Keeping motorists on board. They are majority and the legislators. We have to find a way to both not alienate them and, harder still, work out why they would see support as advantageous to them.
I really think 2) is the name of the game. Being ethically and morally right but getting no result is just grandstanding. Somehow the Danes & the Dutch did it so that's where I would go to learn the lessons.
1) Getting the message to as many of the 99% so support/vote is just a click away.
2) Keeping motorists on board. They are majority and the legislators. We have to find a way to both not alienate them and, harder still, work out why they would see support as advantageous to them.
I really think 2) is the name of the game. Being ethically and morally right but getting no result is just grandstanding. Somehow the Danes & the Dutch did it so that's where I would go to learn the lessons.
