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Brian and Debbie DorlingTop Gear: Cyclist’s widow tells Jeremy Clarkson: 'Look me in the eye'
Debbie Dorling, whose husband Brian was killed by a lorry at Bow Roundabout in London while riding his bike to work in October 2011, has challenged Jeremy Clarkson and James May to look her in the eye over their piece about cycle safety in Sunday evening’s edition of the BBC TV show, Top Gear.
Mrs Dorling told road.cc that the programme “totally missed the point of cycle safety”, and that she found one sequence particularly “distressing”, when vegetables were dropped from height onto a hard floor, with a bike following.
“What’s it meant to be?” asked May. “It’s a cyclist after an accident,” explained Clarkson.
The episode of the show, which is watched by millions of viewers in the UK and around the world, saw Clarkson and May present a series of cycle safety videos to a panel of experts including former world and Olympic champion Chris Boardman, now policy advisor at British Cycling.
It quickly became apparent that there was no intention of addressing the subject seriously, as the segment descended into a litany of well-worn stereotypes about cyclists being red light jumpers who can’t afford a car.
Serious issues were barely touched upon, and the danger posed by lorries — which make up 4 per cent of London's traffic, but are involved in more than half of cyclist fatalities — not mentioned at all.
In the comments to our article and on our Facebook page, many pointed out that as a light entertainment show, no-one should have expected anything different. People were told to lighten up and enjoy the jokes.
But others wondered how you might feel if someone who had lost a loved one while cycling were watching the programme, and saw the subject being treated with such triviality.
As it happened, Mrs Dorling was watching it with her daughter. She told us: “I have a sense of humour, so does my daughter. We were laughing then the laughing stopped because it went too far.”
Mrs Dorling, posting as Brians Wife, made a comment to our article on the programme, in which she said:
I sat and watched TG with my daughter as it is one of our favourite programmes. However after the initial laughter at the cycling piece we were both shocked and sickened by the content. Sorry guys, this was not good TV for a family whose cyclist husband and father was killed by a lorry. This missed so many opportunities and I am quite saddened by what went on air, had I realised I would not have watched.
Her husband Brian, an experienced cyclist who rode around 200 miles a week, was killed at Bow Roundabout in October 2011 on his way from his home in Hounslow to work as a surveyor at the Olympic Park.
Since then, the family has had to endure not only their grief at his loss, but also a criminal court case in which the driver of the lorry involved was sentenced to 24 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for a year.
They also sat through an inquest in which the coroner was highly critical of the Cycle Superhighway Mr Dorling was riding on, which she said gave cyclists “a false sense of security”.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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66 comments
It is almost impossible to be killed while encased in a car... It is seriously worrying that you don't know that.
Ah, so I see editing a reply sends it to the bottom of the thread and makes it look stupid and out of place. Arse
I can see a fairly clear difference between someone dying of a heart attack and someone being killed by someone else.
Completely understand the feelings of the bereaved in watching this. A missed opportunity, as I've already posted
However, as annoying and insensitive as Clarkson can be, he's just making entertainment programmes, and has no remit for education or to strive to improve safety. The government and justice system does, however. They are the one's failing the victims of accidents.
But if you think other road users are immune from insensitive generalisations by Clarkson, then think again; bus users, motorcyclists, lorry drivers, the Welsh.. ! All have been targeted, I really don't think it's anything sinister he just thrives on controversial comedy that's all.
Can Clarkson be prosecuted for incitement or conspiracy to road rage yet?
Remind me which of those generalisations were made through the use of a realistic image intended to portray a fatality for humorous purposes?
I don't even recall any news articles about the deaths of 120-odd innocent Welsh people a year due to them simply being Welsh. Maybe I've not been paying attention.
Poor lady, the very fact she could see the funny side of any of their piece is pretty admirable in itself. I agree that no-one expected anything less than the usual from the TG team, but echo the sentiment that it was a completely missed opportunity to get a worthy message across. It's all very well carrying on with the piss taking, and most of us can take a joke, but you then have a responsibility to balance this when you are dealing with a matter which is as serious as it is. Can you imagine them running a similar piece joking about car crash victims or motorsport deaths? I just don't think they would.
Top Gear at one point was my fave show. That was when it was about cars, development, technology, consumer information about faults and road tests, etc. Occasional slapstick made it entertaining and the balance was right.
I dont watch the show at all now. Basically because the presenters have turned into a bunch of c**ts who need to retire. The show actually needs to die too, that would be a good thing.
maybe clarkson could take a biscuit tin full of fruit and drop a microwave on it to hilariously illustrate what can happen to a car and its occupants if it is smashed to bits by an HGV.
I mean it would be their fault after all, not driving the biggest thing on the road wouldn't it?
Looking at the comments on the original piece, what strikes me is how ridiculous some of the comments on this site are becoming. In amongst the 122 others (and counting), Mrs Dorling posted what has to be the most significant comment of the lot, but it was hardly noticed amid a din of shouts and insults by people accusing each other of all sorts just because they don't agree.
If you found it offensive tell the BBC.
I have. I particularly enjoyed the "work harder ********" abuse from the passenger of a hot hatch that overtook me on my way home yesterday. That was a predictable result of this piece of BBC public disservice broadcasting.
I think the portrayal of injured cyclists as vegetables crossed the line, too.
It was probably a comment at how slow you were going from another cyclist
Yep. That's what I told them too.
People are far too easily offended these days. Ooh, my feelings were hurt. Please.
I honestly hope your comment was about the show in general and not about this ladies very sad loss.
/
Seriously.
Try reading who has complained in the article above.
Seriously.
Only 6 comments from this user, don't feed the troll guys.
Correctamundo
I wonder how you would feel to have the demise of a close family member ridiculed by oafs?!
My father died of a heart attack. Am I offended every time Jimmy Carr/Frankie Boyle/whoever makes a comment about someone dying from a heart attack? No. Should I be? No.
Stop being so terminally offended.
Was your dad's heart attack caused by someone else's inattention?
Or, their rush to get from A to B despite whoever was in their way?
Perhaps, his heart attack was caused by someone texting and driving at the same time.
If your dad's heart attack had been directly and unnaturally caused by someone else's negligence - say, a drug incorrectly administered by an incompetent doctor working in an inadequately regulated hospital - and then you saw a prime-time TV programme promoting maverick medicine laughing and applauding at people who'd been killed in that way, would you not be bothered?
I mean, maybe you're fine with that, in which case fair play. But don't try to pretend that dying of a fundamentally non-eradicable illness is anything like being completely unnecessarily killed by a piece of machinery operated by another person.
A Heart Attack is different - No secondary participant
A cycling accident like this could be and can be avoided if people were more self aware on the roads (Cars and Cyclists alike). The cause of this families loss could be prevented by better education. The mass market opportunity to do this was not taken and could potentially cause more accidents because of the triviality and the audience it touched.
I don't get offended by anything at all and I watch comedy that test the limits and the more offensive the better.
If I watch Jimmy Carr/Frankie Boyle I know what I am going to get, Top Gear is a publically funded BBC show that has responsibilities as well as being light hearted. To highlight injured cyclists as vegetables is not particularly intelligent on a show broadcasted at this time and to an influenced viewer.
Your comments are also not particularly intelligent on a forum like this.
Know your audience.
Pretty much sums up my feelings. Yes comedy will offend people, but luckily those people aren't being held at gunpoint and can choose not to watch it.
Clarkson is still nowhere near a Frankie Boyle.
Nor are people held at gunpoint and forced to listen to people protesting at the offensive remarks. Stop telling people how they should feel.
What I find ironic is how thin-skinned so many Clarkson fans are. Criticise their hero and they come out in their defensive droves.
You ARE kidding right?
Being 'killed' by a heart attack is NOT the same as being killed by a neglectful driver.
What a stupid way to view it. Did you even think this response through?
Death from natural causes or killed whilst cycling by a nobber-driver.
Do you eat chalk and pickle sandwiches by any chance?
Slightly changing the subject here but i've just sat through prime ministers questions (sad i know) and it was brought up about the sentencing for death by dangerous / careless driving.
Cameron, as usual, spouted a complete load of rubbish and said the relevant minister would look at it - next question please.
What hope is there when they cant even be bothered to give at least a decent answer.
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