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Road victim blaming week? Charity Brake defends its Road Safety Week

Road Safety Week begins on Monday, with the theme ‘Look Out For Each Other’.

Road Safety Week begins on Monday, with the theme ‘Look Out For Each Other’. The series of events and schools educational programmes aims this year to “be particularly calling on drivers to protect people on foot and bike by slowing down to 20 in communities, looking longer and taking it slow at junctions and bends, and giving people plenty of room.

“We’ll also call on everyone to put safety first and be considerate to one another, encouraging people on foot and bike to never take chances, and make sure they can be seen.”

Despite sounding innocuous enough, Road Safety Week has been criticised by cycle advocates for putting too much emphasis on the actions of vulnerable road users when apportioning the blame for collisions - and for failing to effectively lobby government for improved cycle infrastructure - but instead focusing on public education.

The blog Road Danger Redaction Forum wrote: “This slots into a belief system where responsibility from drivers is reduced and transferred on to their potential (or actual) victims.

“For cyclists and pedestrians to really “be seen” we need a reversal of this belief system, with enforcement, car and highway engineering which is based on a cultural shift to place responsibility back where it belongs.”

And social media cycling activists didn’t hold back either:

 

So when Carlton Reid, editor of BikeBiz and author of Roads Were Not Built For Cars spotted the Twitter backlash going on against Road Safety Week, he called in Brake's senior community engagement officer Philip Goose to see what he made of the accusations.

Mr Goose denied victim blaming, saying: “We recognise that 4% of miles travelled in the UK are made on foot or bike, but vulnerable road users make up almost half of road deaths.

“Up to 95% of crashes are caused by driver error, so it is therefore vital that drivers take responsibility to protect themselves and everyone around them.”

When asked about the charity’s lack of efforts to improve infrastructure, Mr Goose said: “We are also campaigning for 20mph limits as the default urban speed limit.

“We are also fully behind increased funding for infrastructure to make sustainable transport safer and more attractive.”

He added: “We would love everyone who cycles to get behind Road Safety Week, whether you cycle to work or to the shops, whether you like touring around the countryside with your family, or racing or taking part in sportives with your local club.

“‘Look out for each other’ is all about how we can do more to stop the five deaths and 61 serious injuries every day on UK roads.

“Drivers have a particular part to play in this, and as cyclists many of us drive, or know people that do, and we can all play a part in influencing driver behaviour.

“We can also as individuals all call on our local politicians to implement 20mph urban speed limits and safer infrastructure for all road users.”

Later, on Twitter, Mr Goose confirmed that on a personal level, he was not in favour of compulsory cycle helmets.

So at least that’s one row avoided...

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23 comments

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ironmancole | 9 years ago
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Politically it's a hot potato, bit like someone on the heavy side squeezing themselves into a completely inappropriate piece of clothing and asking your opinion...we all know it's wrong but no-one least of all politicians are going to risk upsetting the status quo.

Dead people don't vote so who gives a damn? type mentality.

Action needs to be an all action affair supported by all irrespective of political faction or sway.

Does society really tell me that if enough people made unlawful sexual deviancy so endemic that politicians would then adopt the same level of ignorance so as not to upset the masses?

I would sincerely hope not but evidence seems to show that politicians are inherently attention seeking rather than having any inner sense of achieving what they all know to be the right thing.

It can never be ok that such levels of death and injury are considered normal...all in government have a huge amount to answer for.

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ironmancole | 9 years ago
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Yes, I'm doing my bit this week.

I publicly vow not to kill a single lorry, bus or car whilst on my bike.

Us cyclists bear a huge responsibility out there in the public domain and we could all do with going easy and making sure we stop killing those motorists.

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JeevesBath | 9 years ago
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Seems like a bit of faux outrage to me, personally I always watch out for myself and other people as it just seems sensible.
I do like this campaign from America though, it emphasises that cyclists are normal people and not just autonomous machines with a squidgy bit on top....
http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/new-people-bikes-campaign-emphasi...

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BrendaP | 9 years ago
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Sadly the culture of victim blaming is endemic. Was listening to a programme on 'road safety' on LBC this evening and Clive Bull sympathised with every driver who rang in complaining that pedestrians just walked out in front of them ALL the time, especially when turning right or left into side roads, pedestrians just stepped out into the road. Doesn't matter the Highway Code says you should give way to pedestrians when turning into side roads - does it matter even to the judge, jury and police? Ad nauseam about 20mph being too slow, and how collisions are the fault of ignorant parents not always holding on to their children's hands, and how children are not taught 'road safety' these days. I tried to call in, but they did not take my call - did not fit in with the prevailing view.

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BrendaP | 9 years ago
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Sadly the culture of victim blaming is endemic. Was listening to a programme on 'road safety' on LBC this evening and Clive Bull sympathised with every driver who rang in complaining that pedestrians just walked out in front of them ALL the time, especially when turning right or left into side roads, pedestrians just stepped out into the road. Doesn't matter the Highway Code says you should give way to pedestrians when turning into side roads - does it matter even to the judge, jury and police? Ad nauseam about 20mph being too slow, and how collisions are the fault of ignorant parents not always holding on to their children's hands, and how children are not taught 'road safety' these days. I tried to call in, but they did not take my call - did not fit in with the prevailing view.

Avatar
BrendaP | 9 years ago
0 likes

Sadly the culture of victim blaming is endemic. Was listening to a programme on 'road safety' on LBC this evening and Clive Bull sympathised with every driver who rang in complaining that pedestrians just walked out in front of them ALL the time, especially when turning right or left into side roads, pedestrians just stepped out into the road. Doesn't matter the Highway Code says you should give way to pedestrians when turning into side roads - does it matter even to the judge, jury and police? Ad nauseam about 20mph being too slow, and how collisions are the fault of ignorant parents not always holding on to their children's hands, and how children are not taught 'road safety' these days. I tried to call in, but they did not take my call - did not fit in with the prevailing view.

Avatar
BrendaP | 9 years ago
0 likes

Sadly the culture of victim blaming is endemic. Was listening to a programme on 'road safety' on LBC this evening and Clive Bull sympathised with every driver who rang in complaining that pedestrians just walked out in front of them ALL the time, especially when turning right or left into side roads, pedestrians just stepped out into the road. Doesn't matter the Highway Code says you should give way to pedestrians when turning into side roads - does it matter even to the judge, jury and police? Ad nauseam about 20mph being too slow, and how collisions are the fault of ignorant parents not always holding on to their children's hands, and how children are not taught 'road safety' these days. I tried to call in, but they did not take my call - did not fit in with the prevailing view.

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PonteD replied to BrendaP | 9 years ago
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BrendaP wrote:

...Was listening to a programme on 'road safety' on LBC this evening and Clive Bull sympathised with every driver who rang in complaining that pedestrians just walked out in front of them ALL the time, especially when turning right or left into side roads, pedestrians just stepped out into the road.

I wonder how many of those motorists were indicating to turn-in when said pedestrians walked out in front of them at junctions? It seems many drivers only think they need to indicate for other cars and not also to let pedestrians know their intentions (sadly, it seems even more only think indicating is for when you're on your driving test).

Bring back the green cross code man and inundate everyone with road safety messages on TV and at bus stops, especially during x-factor and strictly, maybe that way people will start to learn.

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JeevesBath replied to PonteD | 9 years ago
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dazwan wrote:

Bring back the green cross code man and inundate everyone with road safety messages on TV and at bus stops, especially during x-factor and strictly, maybe that way people will start to learn.

Telling people to look before crossing the road - isn't that victim blaming?

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userfriendly replied to JeevesBath | 9 years ago
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JeevesBath wrote:

Telling people to look before crossing the road - isn't that victim blaming?

"Next time you cross the road, don't bother looking."

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JeevesBath replied to userfriendly | 9 years ago
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userfriendly wrote:
JeevesBath wrote:

Telling people to look before crossing the road - isn't that victim blaming?

"Next time you cross the road, don't bother looking."

I will assume the onus is entirely on the driver for not hitting me. That's how it works isn't it?

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userfriendly replied to JeevesBath | 9 years ago
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JeevesBath wrote:

I will assume the onus is entirely on the driver for not hitting me. That's how it works isn't it?

Works for me.

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ron611087 | 9 years ago
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Philip Goose sounds sincere but there is nothing in the campaign that deals with the asynchronicity of risk so pithily expressed by @beztweets.

"Look out for each other" bears a strong resemblance to Scotlands pathetic Niceway campaign. The only part of that campaign that had any positive response was when cyclists rallied against the Advertising Standards Authority for pulling Niceway's video of a lady cycling down the road sans helmet.

If Brake wants any support from cyclists perhaps they need to prod the bigots from ASA to launch an investigation into it.

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Bob's Bikes | 9 years ago
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Funnily enough I don't find this piece of advice/public notice that offensive compaired to some in the past.
I also agree that most efforts towards safer roads needs to be directed at the main antagonists ie drivers but as has been pointed out by mrmo that's not going to happen soon, so lets hope the victim blame game is dying a (justly rightful) death.

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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Sadly the woman who overtook me in a residential area, last week, on a pedestrian crossing near the children's play area, just before I was turning right would be able to justify her actions in her own mind. Good luck with this type of campaign, but something more fundamental is needed.

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Daveyraveygravey | 9 years ago
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It's easy to criticise this initiative but it's more publicity for the main issue - drivers not taking enough care of other road users. We should applaud it and promote it as much as we can.

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Housecathst | 9 years ago
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Yeah, heaven forbid that we might offend drivers. Stop killing people, is that too much to ask ?

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mrmo replied to Housecathst | 9 years ago
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Housecathst wrote:

Yeah, heaven forbid that we might offend drivers. Stop killing people, is that too much to ask ?

The problem is quite simple really, I live in a town which according to the last census has a cycle commuting population of over 4% which by national standards is actually good!

That means the vast majority don't commute by bike in fact most people drive.

This vast majority also vote, find me a politician who will do what is in the best interest of the population as opposed to what the population believe is their best interest.

Somehow we need to achieve what the dutch did, make everyone realise that cars are a problem, that buying a Q7 to drive the kids to school is not acceptable.

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FluffyKittenofT... | 9 years ago
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Its not really 'look out for each other', its 'drivers, make more effort not to kill people'.

But politically its impossible to state the truth, as too many drivers will get upset if it isn't implied that those pedestrians and cyclists aren't equally responsible for the problem. So we get the 'all in it together' crap. (Can't entirely blame those who come out with it, they know drivers won't listen otherwise)

And, yeah, 20mph limits aren't enforced at all, so they are a bit of a token gesture.

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IHphoto | 9 years ago
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All well and good these 20mph limits but NONE are enforced locally and most drivers simply ignore.

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brooksby replied to IHphoto | 9 years ago
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IHphoto wrote:

All well and good these 20mph limits but NONE are enforced locally and most drivers simply ignore.

The comments pages on my local "newspaper"'s website are always full of people saying that the urban 20mph limits are stupid and that they have no intention of observing them. Wouldn't it be hilarious if the police took this as a statement of intent, and every time someone was caught for speeding they could check whether they had made such a comment, proving pre-meditation, and bump up the fine...

(The rest of the time, people are grumbling about how "this one time, I was sticking within the 20mph limit, and this cyclist just went racing past me; bloody cyclists, ought to be shot, the lot of them" (disclaimer: this is not exact wording, but indicative of a general viewpoint displayed)).

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oozaveared replied to IHphoto | 9 years ago
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IHphoto wrote:

All well and good these 20mph limits but NONE are enforced locally and most drivers simply ignore.

Not only are they not enforced the police in Sussex (Brighton I think) refused to allocate any resources to enforcement. They didn't have to refuse point blank they could have just not actively enforced. I think the point they were making with that statement was that passing new regs needs to be supported with the necessary enforcement resources.

And whilst I think 20mph is a good limit for urban driving I think the first priority should not be to bring in a new limit and put up some signs which is easy and cheap, but to actually enforce the current speed 30 mph speed limit which is very widely ignored.

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belgravedave | 9 years ago
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Mr Goose sounds pretty sound from that brief piece.

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