The BBC has this morning edited a headline which claimed a cyclist suffered devastating facial injuries in an “accident”, that despite the rider’s injuries being caused by a drink driver who was using their phone at the time of the collision.

The story, originally published by BBC Bristol but later also shared by BBC News, originally featured the headline ‘Cyclist gets 3D printed face after bike accident’ but was later edited to ‘Cyclist gets 3D printed face after bike crash’ — that after the public service broadcaster faced criticism online for the wording and we raised the article with the BBC press office.

It also previously referred to the incident as “his accident” in the article copy, something which has since been removed.

New BBC "accident" headline after editing
New BBC "accident" headline after editing (Image Credit: BBC)

Dave Richards, from Devon, suffered severe burns down one side of his body and face and suffered crush injuries when he and two friends were hit by a drink driver back in July 2021. The driver was also on his phone when he hit the group of cyclists.

The BBC story was about the work of the Bristol 3D Medical Centre, who are treating Mr Richards with a 3D-printed face, making him one of the first patients to benefit from the unique NHS body parts printing centre.

Recalling the collision, Mr Richards said: “He [the driver] came up behind us and was on his phone. My two friends were knocked clear but suffered multiple fractures. I, unfortunately, got trapped underneath the vehicle so I got severe burns down one side of my body and face and suffered crush injuries, ribs on my right hand side.”

He underwent multiple reconstructive operations at Southmead Hospital and the Bristol 3D Medical Centre, which opened in April, is now assisting with facial prosthetics, something Mr Richards reported is helping him “feel a lot more comfortable in myself”.

A large orbital prosthesis and neck scar splints have been made and the centre uses 3D scans to capture a patient’s face digitally to develop a replica and then design the moulds for prosthesis.

“Most times people don’t notice,” he explained. “I have had to live with this for four years. Most of this is in my head. A lot of the time people don’t notice or don’t say anything or accept the way I am.”

> National Highways to stop calling collisions ‘accidents’, as campaigners welcome “significant step” in recognising crashes are “not random events, but preventable incidents caused by human actions”

Much of the initial reaction to the story was disbelief at the BBC describing an incident where a drink driver on their phone had seriously injured a cyclist as an “accident”.

One reader commented: “A cyclist knocked of his bike by a drunk driver needed part of his face prosthetic to be 3D printed. Let’s play guess the BBC headline: Cyclist gets 3D printed face after bike accident. That’s right! Just an accident! Unbelievable.”

Another said: “A poor headline – being hit by a drunk driver is not an accident.”

We’ve contacted the BBC for comment, but had not received a reply at the time of publication.

In 2021, the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines were launched, encouraging journalists and broadcasters to use language that better reflects the reality of incidents on the roads. For example, the press were told to avoid using the word ‘accident’ as it implies that incidents are unavoidable, and reporting should instead refer to such incidents as a ‘collision’ or ‘crash’.

Likewise, when referring to the parties involved, journalists were told to refer to people rather than vehicles; so it would be ‘driver’, not ‘car’. While not mandatory, organisations such as the police and National Highways have announced they will no longer refer to collisions as accidents.

The use of ‘accident’ is still frustratingly common across many publications. In September the BBC apologised for its use of the word ‘accident’ in a headline and story concerning the deaths of US ice hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, killed while cycling by a suspected drink driver who allegedly told police at the scene that he had consumed “five to six beers” before the fatal crash.