PSA: War on Britains Roads tonight BBC1 9pm

Apologies if this has already been discussed and I missed it but tonight the BBC are airing a show called ‘The War On Britains Roads’, that allegedly is a little sensationalist:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/dec/03/bbc-cycling-documentary-irresponsible-mp

Some interesting commentary by a cyclist involved:
http://www.magnatom.net/2012/11/war-on-britains-roads.html

Sounds like just what we dont need, sounds like the program will pour fuel on an already burning fire. I’m very up for putting cyclist safety more into the public domain but only in a balanced way and not sensationalist, this looks like pure sensationalism dross.

note: thanks to the person who posted the links up on the climbing site I stole this from.

Doesn’t look good eh? 🙄

BikeBiz article…

It’s on the BBC and therefore must be an accurate, truthful and quality documentary. 🙄

By the looks of the trailers, it should be titled

The War On Britains Central London’s Roads, between Shouty Cabbies, White Van Men, and Fixie-riding courier-wanabee bell-ends 🙄

…don’t forget the professional film-makers filming alleycat racing for a DVD. Which the BBC then portray as normal cyclist behaviour.

That footage is shocking!

I’ll record this and then if it is as bad as this, will be looking for the official complaint process at the bbc.

The whole program looks to be shocking….

..but are we not being drawn into watching this program, in indignant outrage, which is precisely what the BBC and program producers want?

What if they’ve inserted some explanations into the program and only shown the controversial stuff in the preview?

Maybe we should be careful of being coerced into watching a program we might otherwise of ignored 😀

I am intending watching the program and shall no doubt become suitably apoplectic either during or after 😳

What if they’ve inserted some explanations into the program and only shown the controversial stuff in the preview?

The whole lot has been shown to a handful of media types including Carlton Reid at Bike Biz (as in the link above).

Of course, they’ve had time to edit it since then…

So we will get evidence of cyclists behaving badly, motorists behaving badly and possibly pedestrians behaving badly. But that would be a bit dull, so season with suitable levels of hyperbole to make good telly and keep the “Irates-of-Irateville” writing to their favourite papers.

Will it make our roads safer for all? Lets hope so, but I will not be holding my breath.

I wont be watching it – il be out on my bike causing mayhem

I’ll also watch. Any critism of cycling on roads isn’t good.

Not because of ‘educating’ the cyclist but because it further ferments disrespect towards such a vunerable road user doesn’t it?

If its neg I’ll complain (my first).

He’s waiting Hora….

At the end of the day, it’ll make no odds. Everyone already hates us anyway. It’ll just confirm existing prejudices.

Its just a shame that the BBC now seem to be using the Daily Mail as their benchmark for journalistic standards. But that’s not really owt new

any cyclist riding like the dickheads on the trailer, and like the guy posted filming last week, deserves to be knocked off his bike……imho that is…….. 😀

I refuse to watch something that will have me shouting at the telly more than usual,so I will just send a complaint in now 🙂

From the BBC New Director General:

**** with our planned licence fee increases and we’ll put out negative news stories on the economy etc etc etc to punish you

You can start preparing your letters now

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/

In true Tory MP/Daily Mail fashion can we not just be outraged without actually bothering to watch it?

ti pin man, stick to breaches of BBC Editorial policy (Thanks Bike Biz for the paste below) when you make your complaint.

BBC EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

If the programme aired tonight has not been extensively edited to remove the sleight of hand documented above it’s clear that Leopard Films and the BBC has breached the BBC’s editorial guidelines, extracts of which are given below.

GATHERING MATERIAL

“We should ensure that user generated content is clearly identified as such.

“We should only broadcast material from third parties who may have a personal or professional interest in its subject matter if there is a clear editorial justification. The material should be labelled.

“The editorial significance of the material, rather than simply its impact, must be considered before it is used. If it is editorially justified to use it then we must explain the circumstances and clearly label the source of the material in our output.”

AVOIDING MISLEADING AUDIENCES
“We must not knowingly and materially mislead our audiences with our content. We may need to clarify the nature of some content by labeling (for example, verbally, in text or with visual or audio cues) to avoid being misleading.

“We should normally identify on-air and online sources of information and significant contributors, and provide their credentials, so that our audiences can judge their status.

“It is usually unacceptable to use production techniques that materially mislead the audience about the reality of the narrative or events.

“For news and factual content, unless clearly signalled to the audience or using reconstructions, we should not normally…inter-cut shots and sequences to suggest they were happening at the same time, if the resulting juxtaposition of material leads to a misleading impression of events.

“Archive material should not be used in a way that materially misleads the audience about a situation, events or what is being depicted. Labelling may be required.

“We should report statistics and risks in context and avoid worrying the audience unduly, especially about health or crime. This may involve giving trends, taking care to avoid giving figures more weight than can stand scrutiny.

“We should consider the emotional impact pictures and personal testimony can have on perceptions of risk when not supported by the balance of argument. If a contributor’s view is contrary to majority opinion, the demands of due accuracy and due impartiality may require us to make this clear.”

Ta as well/noted. Will watch first. It may actually be ok.

That’s not the STW way 😉

In true Tory MP/Daily Mail STW fashion can we not just be outraged without actually bothering to watch it?

It was a tough call ,ranting cyclist/van driver Mocumentary versus the new Warren Miller ski film ( and a raffle ) 😀

i think its worth a watch, who knows it might have been edited and is not so unbalanced, lets face it it is going to show some pretty terrible motor driving

if nothing else it’ll mean we can all weigh in here and rant about how good /bad/ inciteful / it is or how fat bikes are rubbish / brilliant 😆

Is it worth complaining before and after? Before on the idea for them to pull the show as you fear for your life as a cyclist on the roads?

i got an email earlier this year about a new programe being made about cycling and motorists road rage, as i have a few basic vids on You tube.

I decided not to respond as the film may or may not have been good publicity for cyclists.

Oh and it was being made by a non bbc company

I’ll reserve my judgement till I’ve seen it, but the pieces thus far from Bike-biz and the guardian don’t bode well, any comments yet from the DM?

I’ll watch it, but I’m not sure my Missus should she’s precisely the sort of person who’ll believe cycling on UK roads is some sort of deadly activity if it’s presented in that way, and will then make every attempt to get me to give it up…

In my experience with the media, the producers and commissioning editors will have started out with an idea of the story they want the programme to tell, and will have interviewed and edited to suit.

A fair, balanced documentary might be worthy, but it doesn’t have that watercooler moment that’s so vital for BBC canteen cred.

Looks like our pressure has encouraged the BBC to state “extreme example” on the DVD footage… so glad I’m paying them to make this…

Meh, I’ll be watching Roam, er, Rome on BBC4.

Also worth a read is This Telegraph Article seems to have a bit more detail on the documentary’s content and is a pretty balanced piece, especially as it’s written by a motoring journalist…

I’ll hve to watch it to know why I’m being shouted at/run off the road during tomorrows commute.
*Straps fake plastic crossbow to rucksack, Mint Sauce stylee*

I remember a very very very similar program being run ages ago where, as with this one, they claimed the roads were a battle ground blah blah etc.. This time they’ve just focused on the cyclist vs motorist angle.

They found several irritating people and followed them around with a camera. I vaguely remember a 4×4 driver shouting at everyone holding him up on the school run.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008pbqs

“Britain is in the grip of a road rage crisis. Filming on some of the UK’s most traffic-choked streets, this eye-opening investigation exposes just how bad the situation has become; as violence and abuse in the war between motorists, cyclists, traffic wardens and police escalates without any solution in sight.”

Sounds familiar…. i wonder if it was the same people producing it? or do they write the program description then get a company to produce it or what?

Thank the Lord for my night lights, local pub, xbox and Sky Sport subscription, another BBC offering I can remain blissfully unaware of. TV for idiots, probably on alongside a bakery program, something about 12 tools trying to impress some entrepreneur, and some famous people learning how to give CPR to a house cat.

Also worth a read is This Telegraph Article seems to have a bit more detail on the documentary’s content and is a pretty balanced piece, especially as it’s written by a motoring journalist…

Had a slight chuckle at one of the comments on the telegraph link, one of the contributors references a cyclist as “velcro clad” 😯