“No war with motorists”

There’s an interesting piece on the BBC website (following on from national news tv coverage yesterday), ostensibly about the rise in camera footage sent to the police, resulting in an increase in charges against motorists.

Despite examples of dashcam footage being given,  the article is headlined around cyclists catching motorists out an includes details of a cycle instructor who’s submitted hundreds of clips resulting in a large number of sanctions. I get the feeling that it’s a bit of a crusade.

Now I’ve got quite a collection of clips of some shocking driving around me on cycle rides, but I’ve never submitted any. I’ve always been conflicted, on the one hand I’d be horrified if someone I didn’t report went on to harm another cyclist, but I can’t shake the feeling that getting an careless driver in trouble in likely to rile them up more and perhaps result in an even more cyclist hating, punishment passing driver.

The article includes the statement that “there is not a war between motorists and cyclists” but I can’t help thinking that it’ll be perceived that way and could make things worse. What do folk thing?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly29m5rrd4o

If someone is being a **** report them.

I’ve reported a few I’ve seen on the telephone. Hopefully stops them doing it again and increases my chances of staying alive.

Most people drive well most of the time, nothing to report

There was a police rep talking about this on radio 4 yesterday, he said despite the rise/popularity/visibility of cyclists submitted camera footage on YouTube etc, the vast majority of footage actually comes from motorists about other motorists.

the vast majority of footage actually comes from motorists about other motorists.

Which makes perfect sense as there are far more motorists than cyclists, but the Beeb are portraying it as very much cyclist driven.

Yes does seem a bit innocently worded to rile angry people who drive motor vehicles.

but the Beeb are portraying it as very much cyclist driven

But the Beeb is a shit show of god awful journalism* who continually get things wrong, so just ignore them.

*Although they’re not GB news yet….

I’ve reported a few I’ve seen on the telephone. Hopefully stops them doing it again and increases my chances of staying alive.

Not just your chances. Everyone who rides a bike’s chances. Well done for reporting them.

The article includes the statement that “there is not a war between motorists and cyclists” but I can’t help thinking that it’ll be perceived that way and could make things worse

Haha that reminds me of an oratorical technique pioneered, I think, by Cicero. ‘I will not mention the previous crimes of the accused which included…’. Thereby establishing them as priors in the minds of the audience. This is similar and reminds me also of elements in a book called ‘drop the pink elephant’.

That a war between cyclists and motorists was mentioned was an intent to communicate that idea. BBC BS and very disappointing.

I see just as many dangerous driving incidents, whilst walking my dog or driving my car, as I do whilst cycling. I also see folks doing all sorts of inexcusable things, whilst they aren’t driving.

It’s a war on bad behaviour, if anything, it’s just that bad behaviour whilst driving is the most likely to result in injury or death

If the end result is that people take more care around cyclists because they think they might be on camera then that’s a win. Sadly the same thinking doesn’t seem to apply to taking care around the far more prevalent cameras in other vehicles so I won’t get my hopes up.

Apparently it’s kicked off a bit. It was clearly the BBC’s day for cyclists vs. motorists yesterday. I caught the lunchtime news segment but Road.cc have a piece up about a BBC Breakfast report where two of the cyclists active in supplying video to the police were described as vigilantes. There’s been a bit of a backlash.

https://road.cc/content/news/no-war-between-cyclists-and-drivers-says-cyclingmikey-310649

The whole thing reflects quite badly on the BBC I feel. It certainly feels like stirring.

Equally I’m still uncertain as to whether reporting bad drivers actually improves or worsens things for cyclists generally. Does it make careless drivers more attentive or just make them more aggravated & aggressive (or possibly a bit of both)?

Don’t get sucked in to road.cc!

I avoid that website as it just seems to exist for clickbait purposes

Meh, there are motorists who hate cyclists, and there are cyclists who hate motorists, you do have a couple on groups/youtube who go around antagonising for views, wouldn’t call them vigilantes, just busybodies, like you get in your street, work and so on.

It’ll always happen, just today i’ve seen bad cycling and bad motoring in a trip to the shops, i’ve had many near misses (and a few hits) on the bike, you know when someone has done something daft, and when they’ve just been muppets, same as me on the bike when i’ve just been daft and been on autopilot or distracted.

I held off getting a dashcam for a many years as in principle I don’t want to live in a world where everyone’s recording and reporting each other to the authorities.

Now I have one, I have a high bar (set from previous experience) for actually reporting someone. Thankfully nobody has come close since.

Also stoking this kind of tribal conflict between fellow citizens sounds like the sort of thing Russia and Iran et al would love to get involved in.

Only it isnt Russia, or Iran or China, or North Korea, etc etc

It is all homegrown.

I have a camera on my bike and will report bad driving as and when it happens. Mainly the camera is a way of me taking control of situations that used to make me feel out of control and angry. Got clipped by the wing mirror of a car last week,didn’t even bother talking to the driver, previously I would have been trying to drag them out the window.

If you witness and record something that you genuinely feel crosses the line, report report report.

Many terrible, dangerous drivers are blissfully ignorant of how terrible and dangerous they are, a word from the local constabulary may just help them change their ways before they hurt someone.

Others are fully aware and just don’t care, in which case the more they are reported the more likely they are to get points in their license (which they will care about because it jacks up their insurance) or eventually a ban.

If motorists started assuming every cyclist they encounter is recording them they may just start behaving a bit better.

I have some slightly ‘Clarksonesque’ family members and have mentioned to them that most cyclists running lights in daylight are doing so because they have integrated cameras. Caused a few raised eyebrows and hopefully a bit more consideration in the future.

Don’t get sucked in to BBC News!

I avoid that service as it just seems to exist for clickbait purposes

ftfy.

Only it isnt Russia, or Iran or China, or North Korea, etc etc

It is all homegrown.

I wasn’t saying it was them. Just that they have form for amplifying existing divisions so perhaps would be interested in this particular rift. Maybe I should contact the embassy to suggest it.

Just that they have form for amplifying existing divisions so perhaps would be interested in this particular rift.

I think you’ll find we also have form.  Trying to make or point out an equivalency is basically saying that we would never do such a thing and only ‘bad countries’ would look to capitalize on such.

‘fraid to say we’re also masters of that art.

I know, and I didn’t say we don’t.