Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

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fastpedaller
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Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by fastpedaller »

From the EDP (Eastern Daily Press), which continues to report any collision involving a cyclist using the words "A cyclist collided with the vehicle" comes this little gem in today's news:-
Driver in hospital after BMW car ends up in ditch
A driver was taken to hospital after a car crashed into a ditch in Great Yarmouth.
Norfolk Police were called to reports of a collision on Thamesfield Way at 12.37am on Thursday (May 13).
A silver BMW had gone over the roundabout and ended up in a ditch, police said.

I guess it wasn't a 'self-driving car' as no mention, and it certainly doesn't look like one.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/great-yarm ... sh-7969608

Either a bad description by Police or EDP. Maybe it should have read " Careless driver pilots their car over a roundabout and into a ditch"
I was outraged last week when they reported 'Cyclist riding a triathlon time trial bike collides with car' which started a lot of victim blaming talk on disqus. Tragic, and the victim had subsequently died. Despite my complaints to EDP about their biased reporting, and their assurances that they will only report impartially, they continue to do it.
Jdsk
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Jdsk »

I know what you mean about the press using wording that doesn't say what drivers did or didn't do.

But in this case it doesn't look as if anyone knows what happened or that the driver was careless.

Jonathan
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kylecycler
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by kylecycler »

Jdsk wrote: 13 May 2021, 7:01pm I know what you mean about the press using wording that doesn't say what drivers did or didn't do.

But in this case it doesn't look as if anyone knows what happened or that the driver was careless.

Jonathan
'Scuse me but if you look at how far the BMW was away from the roundabout by the time it finished up in the ditch (according to the police report it had 'gone over the roundabout'), considering it must have crossed the central reservation to get there, plus the fact that the crash occurred at 12:37am...

Get real.

Image

Ironic that it has an L plate on its rear bumper, which means, assuming it wasn't the learner who crashed, that the driver was evidently 'teaching' someone to drive. I was a driving instructor for over thirty years - it was my life's work - and it was a source of frustration, to put it mildly, that any random punter who very likely couldn't pass a test could supervise a learner, at any stage in their development, without training or dual controls, the only requirement being that they have to have held a driving licence for a minimum of three years.
Jdsk
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Jdsk »

How do you know that that was caused by a "careless driver" rather than a mechanical failure or another vehicle or an animal or a pedestrian or a medical incident or the passenger?

Thanks

Jonathan
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kylecycler
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by kylecycler »

Jdsk wrote: 13 May 2021, 7:33pm How do you know that that was caused by a "careless driver" rather than a mechanical failure or another vehicle or an animal or a pedestrian or a medical incident or the passenger?

Thanks

Jonathan
I don't, same as I don't know if a crash on a country road involving a 17 year old who's not long passed a test hasn't been caused by a mechanical failure or another vehicle or an animal or a pedestrian or a medical incident or the passenger...

Like I said, get real.
Pebble
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Pebble »

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/great-yarm ... sh-7969608

I did like the photo of the 'Debris' it helped capture the horror of a BMW getting injured ! I'm sure we all hope it makes a full recovery - poor little car, I hope the roundabout is arrested for causing it to crash
Last edited by Pebble on 13 May 2021, 7:56pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Jdsk »

kylecycler wrote: 13 May 2021, 7:50pm
Jdsk wrote: 13 May 2021, 7:33pm How do you know that that was caused by a "careless driver" rather than a mechanical failure or another vehicle or an animal or a pedestrian or a medical incident or the passenger?
I don't...
Agreed, none of us know.

And when the cause isn't known it would be irresponsible for a newspaper report to attribute cause. And potentially defamatory.

Which leaves a whole lot of reporting where the cause has been established and the responsibility of the driver is downplayed.

Jonathan
MikeF
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by MikeF »

fastpedaller wrote: 13 May 2021, 6:57pm
A silver BMW had gone over the roundabout and ended up in a ditch, police said.

That could be interpreted in more than one way. It could mean that the car had been literally driven over the r/a or driven along the carriageway.
I take your point that the car was being driven and wasn't self driving although with hands free driving that might be possible.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
fastpedaller
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by fastpedaller »

The point I was making (which some have recognised, I'm sure) is that the report is suggesting (nay stating) that the car drove itself into this predicament, there's only little mention of the driver - indeed, suggesting he was a victim to the evil car!
LollyKat
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by LollyKat »

I once lost control of a car after a front tyre blowout. It was daytime, I wasn’t drunk or speeding, and the front tyres had been replaced very recently. The car was a write off but one was hurt so no investigation. It’s not always the driver’s fault.
thirdcrank
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by thirdcrank »

When I saw the thread title I assumed this was about the use of the word "accident" but it seems not.

I'm a regular critic of anthropomorphism in respect of vehicles eg "the car didn't see him" and I've quoted Chief Dan Mathews on Highway Patrol
Remember folks: it's not the car that kills it's the driver.
However, I'm relaxed about the reporting in the linked article.
Pebble
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Pebble »


it is rather disturbing how uncaring cars are towards vans, this car just kept driving itself and did not stop to see it the little van had damaged its wheels and suspension.
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Ride-sleep-repeat
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Ride-sleep-repeat »

kylecycler wrote: 13 May 2021, 7:29pm Ironic that it has an L plate on its rear bumper, which means, assuming it wasn't the learner who crashed, that them driver was evidently 'teaching' someone to drive. I was a driving instructor for over thirty years - it was my life's work - and it was a source of frustration, to put it mildly, that any random punter who very likely couldn't pass a test could supervise a learner, at any stage in their development, without training or dual controls, the only requirement being that they have to have held a driving licence for a minimum of three years.
It's not hard to teach someone how to pass the driving test!Just because an 'instructor' has passed a 'test' to allow the to charge punters for 'lessons' doesn't necessarily make them better than anyone else!
I had one lesson with a 'Driving Instructor' just before taking my test when I was 30 but had been 'driving' since I was a kid.Almost 24 years as a car owner with no accidents.I suppose I'm not qualified to teach any of my kids to drive in your opinion?
Passed my bike test at 17 in 1985,no lessons but again had been riding Moto-X for 10+ years by then.So all in I have about 45 years motorcycling experience.Am I not 'qualified' to teach my lad to ride a moped?

RE the accident.Has a full report been published?There could be 101 reasons the accident occured.It's probably 99% that it will be driver error but until then we can only speculate.
Jdsk
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Jdsk »

Ride-sleep-repeat wrote: 14 May 2021, 11:33amRE the accident.Has a full report been published?There could be 101 reasons the accident occured.It's probably 99% that it will be driver error but until then we can only speculate.
AFAIK we only have the news reports including the police quote, as above. It happened yesterday.

Jonathan
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Ride-sleep-repeat
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Re: Bad reporting of 'accident' yet again!

Post by Ride-sleep-repeat »

Jdsk wrote: 14 May 2021, 11:35am
Ride-sleep-repeat wrote: 14 May 2021, 11:33amRE the accident.Has a full report been published?There could be 101 reasons the accident occured.It's probably 99% that it will be driver error but until then we can only speculate.
AFAIK we only have the news reports including the police quote, as above. It happened yesterday.

Jonathan
That's as I thought.Thanks.
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