[iandusud]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-leeds-52395378?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5ead8a015c8cf7066bdf99c4%26More%20cyclists%20crashing%20as%20novices%20take%20to%20saddle%262020-05-02T15%3A38%3A31.585Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:cb8d2108-3cc0-4a0f-b0d4-115457655cff&pinned_post_asset_id=5ead8a015c8cf7066bdf99c4&pinned_post_type=share
I have just read the above article and written to yorkshirelive@bbc.co.uk with the following. Could I please ask as many of you as possible to do likewise.
Thanks, Ian
Please remove this headline. It is inaccurate. The statement from NY Police says nothing about cyclists crashing. It refers to more cyclists being involved in collisions. The headline implies that the increase is due to the behaviour of the cyclists, whereas statistics clearly demonstrate that in the vast majority of collisions involving cyclists with other roads users it is the other road user who is at fault. If the number of collisions has increased along with an increase in the number of cyclists on the road then that only reflects the status quo.

Topic

[efail]

I emailed them, also. It’s

I emailed them, also. It’s just poor thinking. Not sure if they mean any harm.

[srchar]

It’s not just the headline

It’s not just the headline that needs changing, it’s the article content:

“The number of collisions with cyclists has gone up from 20% to 27%, compared to the same period last year.”

What does that even mean?

[iandusud]

Yes, original headline was

Yes, original headline was “More cyclists crashing as novices take to saddle”. A shameful piece of victim blaming. If you read the article the only correlation that is made is with the increase of drivers speeding. So headline should have read “Speeding drivers cause increase in accidents”

[OnTheRopes]

Yes they have changed the

Yes they have changed the headline

[mdavidford]

It still contains this

It still contains this statistically illiterate claim:

The number of collisions with cyclists has gone up from 20% to 27%

Numbers of collisions and percentages are two different things; one can go up while the other stays the same, or even goes down. They need to be reported to the More Or Less police.

[iandusud]

I’m very pleased to note that

I’m very pleased to note that the BBC have changed the headline, which originally read “More cyclists crashing as novices take to saddle”. It would have been nice if the BBC had acknowledged my email.

[ridiculouscyclist]

Not sure if the headline has

Not sure if the headline has changed, but at the moment I can’t see a problem. “ROAD USERS urged to take care as cycle use increases” – what’s wrong with that? sounds like good advice to road users.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Shameful and innacurrate

Shameful and innacurrate reporting, I did email them

[Author]

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