ITV appeals for helmet cam footage of UK road incidents and near misses for new programme

Don't fall for it. I now have an incredibly dim view of journalists, they're just looking for sensationalist footage for the sake of it. Thus show will follow on the heels of Motor Wars and other such cheap where life threatening behaviour is trivialized into supper time entertainment.

Time and time again we have seen such TV shows fall into nothing more than a circus with no solid or meaningful message delivered other than reinforcement for those who would kill in their cars that government are perfectly happy for them to keep on doing what they are doing.

Don't fall for it. I now have an incredibly dim view of journalists, they're just looking for sensationalist footage for the sake of it. Thus show will follow on the heels of Motor Wars and other such cheap where life threatening behaviour is trivialized into supper time entertainment.

Time and time again we have seen such TV shows fall into nothing more than a circus with no solid or meaningful message delivered other than reinforcement for those who would kill in their cars that government are perfectly happy for them to keep on doing what they are doing.

" Another vote for a programme which juxtaposes the UK experience with equivalent Dutch commutes/rides-to-school/trips-to-the-shops/etc, showing how the Dutch version is accessible to everyone from grannies to kids, and why."

Even with " Presumed Liability Laws " that exist in the EU , you can fall foul of those , that think running a Cyclist off the Road , is a bit of a lark ! You might even get the driver trying to sue you for damage to that Wing Mirror , used to help you onto the pavement .

Laughable that distance photos show the Wing Mirror as undamaged , but the closeups , go missing ! Make sure you take your OWN Photos , DO NOT rely on the integrity of others.

With witnesses , try to sight ID documents ( Required to be carried by ALL in the EU ) , no point trying to locate witnesses that inadvertently misheard you repeat back their Tel. No. or name & address .

Currently " taxing " the Lawyer that thought sending the bill 2 months later , came before seeking the Court Doc.s , needed that like the pavement rash .

How about everyone with a camera deluges them with video of nothing happening. (Or even better footage that shows how enjoyable cycling is!) This might send a strong message to the program makers that cycling is usually perfectly safe and enjoyable (you never know, it might favourably adjust their bias), and limit their ability to wade through all the material to find the sensationalist nonsense they are doubtless looking to make?

Maybe it's just semantics but it seems to me that we don't need a debate, just better infrastructure, like they have in other countries.

We do need some form of debate, perhaps with example clips to highlight bad driving/cycling and also peoples wrong understanding of the law.

To my mind, the Government need to be doing a campaign but that wont happen nor will this show provide anything more than cheap laughs and digs at cyclists.

I agree with the previous 3 statements, there needs to be more focus on the good in cycling, it's changed some peoples lives with regards to their previous obesity.

I was just on holiday on the Greek island of Agistri, it was so pleasant, everyone seemed to be pootling around the roads on mopeds under 20mph, cycling there was stress free, the lack of traffic was idyllic. (note: the island was too small to do long cycle trips.)

Or perhaps they could do some lovely footage of cyclists riding their bikes through idyllic countryside, because personally that's what it's all about for me.
Or they could follow one of the night rides out to the coast and just chat to the riders about why they like riding their bikes, what it means to them, learn a bit about cycling culture, put some human faces to the story.

Then they could intercut it with some of that crazy footage of the cyclists special trains that used to be run in the 1950's with hundreds of cyclists taking the train out to go for a bike ride.

Another vote for a programme which juxtaposes the UK experience with equivalent Dutch commutes/rides-to-school/trips-to-the-shops/etc, showing how the Dutch version is accessible to everyone from grannies to kids, and why.

That I would watch, and even contribute to. And I think it would be hugely interesting and enlightening to a big audience. But I don't see that's what's being suggested.

As ITV seem to be too lazy to spend 10 minutes on youtube, I'll be lazy and repost what I said on the forum. Then ITV can be lazy again and make a decent programme without having to think of a concept.

"The sort of programme I'd like to see would not involve the type of clip you're after. It would be a programme following a road engineer/infrastructure designers, local councillors (in charge of funding the infrastructure), road haulage managers and bus company managers as they cycle with their children around London in normal clothes and no helmets on the school run, using the roads that everyone else is expected to use, and dealing with the behaviour of people they are responsible for. I'd then like to see the exact same group do exactly the same thing in Assen.

I'd like to see interviews (before and after each trip) with both the adults and the kids, finding out how they felt about what they were about to do and why, and how the activity felt and why.

You will pick up your "near miss" footage during the rides, but the programme would have much more value than half an hour of edited youtube clips ever could, and possibly make the future of cycling in this country massively better for everyone. It could be repeated in a range of UK towns and cities if you wanted a series. Call it "A Trial of Two Cities" or something, maybe."

I saw a good 'share the road' ad the other day showing how daft road stress makes people look, not seen it since though. I'd support / donate to fund more of that.

I like this comment posted on another cycling forum by a glenn forger which seems to sum up many cyclists feelings regarding ITVs recent request,

>>>The last episode featured this individual:

“The shiny bum brigade... I can’t be doing with cyclists. If I’m paying tax on the road then I want to be able to ride on the road. They don’t pay tax so why should they ride three or four deep"... the words of white van driver Gaz McPartland, 38, from Preston.

Now, granting Mr McPartland an audience of millions is validation for his thuggish views. You reported that nugget of ignorance and you didn't carry any explanation as to why he's dangerously misinformed. This is like allowing racists to spout hateful abuse based on complete lies. It's irresponsible programme making, it encourages hostility, it reinforces prejudice, it could lead to people getting hurt.

Do one.

<<<<

I am sure ITV would find some way to produce a very slanted programme against cycling and cyclists, trivialising the many near death experiences that we experience on a daily basis and provide fuel for the already large number of aggressive and dangerous drivers who really shouldn't be driving at all, giving them justification to continue their intimidating and dangerous driving. There are already enough terrible cases already in the public domain where drivers have either killed or seriously injured cyclists and got a pathetically lenient sentence or indeed totally got away with killing cyclists(s). Why not use these cases to try and address why approximately 120 cyclists are killed every year and thousands more are injured on our roads each year for merely riding our bicycles on Britain's roads?

thanks but no thanks ITV, biased road rage TV isnt what I like to contribute to push more misconceptions. Now if they want some good cycling experience videos then I be happy to & we all should do that.

ITV - not known for sensationalist programming at all...

Not sure this is a good way of making our roads safer, but it's cheap way for ITV to make yet another crash-band-wallop program..... disapointing really

I'd like to see a proper debate involving all parties about effective changes to government policy, law and such that would make a real different. Sensationalist rubber-necking is not going to achieve that is it?

After all, roads are public public rights of way for everyone to use, and feel safe when doing so whatever mode of transport they choose to use. They are not race tracks for the Clarkson fan club.

BOYCOTT!

Don't anyone send in footage, they'll just make us all look like self-righteous twats frightening all the poor motorists.

Not unlike road.cc then.

I was at the Elephant & Castle protest. It was very peaceful, and all the riders gathered on the pavement. The police were informed in advance, and they were present throughout.

An ITV presenter was doing a piece to camera.

The ITV headline was:

"CYCLISTS ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO SHUT DOWN ELEPHANT & CASTLE ROUNDABOUT"
https://twitter.com/itvlondon/status/469162643862073347

Utter nonsense.

(EDIT: a few days later they changed the headline, but the URL is still the same, and the damage had already been done by then)

Interestingly, this road.cc story appears a day after a direct post on road.cc from the programme makers. 20 sharp replies from readers leave us in no doubt about our views. Sorry to see road.cc staff reposting, not taking these readers' views into account.

Programmes about "dangers of the road" don't stop close passes etc. but they do make cycling seem dangerous and so discourage new cyclists.

Is that what road.cc wants? If not, stop parroting the footage requests please.

How much do they pay?

WHY OH WHY are we giving them coverage?

You've seen the reaction on the forum....right?

Now I know that CTC are involved, I urge everyone to stay even further away from associating with this bunch