Wednesday 30 June 2010

Excellent bit of selective reporting by the BBC

From the BBC's re-hash of a press release:

The report said the A537 through the Peak District, known as the Cat and Fiddle, had severe bends, steep falls from the carriageway and was edged by dry-stone walls or rock face for almost all its length.

Fatal and serious collisions on the route - popular with tourists, goods vehicles and motorcyclists - rose from 15 in the three years to 2005 to 34 between 2006 and 2008. Most crashes happened at weekends during the summer in dry, daylight conditions.


From the website of the people who compiled the report:

Top of this year's persistently higher risk roads is the A537 between Macclesfield and Buxton, known nationally as the Cat and Fiddle. A 50mph single carriageway, running through the Peak District National Park, the route has severe bends, steep falls from the carriageway and is edged by dry-stone walls or rock face for almost all of its length. It is popular with tourists, heavy goods vehicles and high-powered leisure motorcyclists.

Fatal and serious collisions on this section have risen by 127% in the last 3 years rising from 15 in 2003-2005 to 34 in 2006-2008, with most crashes at weekends during the summer in dry, daylight conditions. Police records show that the vast majority of casualties were motorcyclists, from outside the local area, male, and with an average age of 35.

10 comments:

Obnoxio The Clown said...

"Police records show that the vast majority of casualties were motorcyclists, from outside the local area, male, and with an average age of 35."

Or "organ donors" as they're generally known.

formertory said...

There seems to be little doubt, I think, that after The Righteous came for the smokers, the drinkers and others, motorcyclists are moving up the queue of target groups who need to be, er, helped.

I'm just back from 3 weeks in France on my "high-powered leisure motorcycle" and I enjoyed every bloody kilometre. Even when it rained.

Motorcyclists death toll, annually: about 400.

NHS death toll, annually: about 8800.

Leave us alone!

Lola said...

It's brilliaant bit of road!

assegai mike said...

Despite the obvious environmental bonuses, virtually the whole ruling class, including BoJo, and with the possible bizarre exception of Hazel Bears, is anti-motorbike. Bikers somehow represent a spirit of freedom and perceived anti-establishment-ism which, of course, they fear and abhor.

Lola said...

Assegai Mike: Yep. Freedom. Can't be having that can we. We're all 'guilty' now. The State can't control an innocent man.

Lola said...

...and I heard recently that overall road death (about 2500) were lowest in 2009 since the 1930's (I think it was).

Umbongo said...

MW

Who would imagine that the BBC could mislead by omission? It's unthinkable, surely. You'll be telling us next that all that stuff on climate change (and the wonderful effect of sending our taxes to the kleptocrats of Africa) that the BBC keeps pushing out is, actually, a complete load of garbage.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Obo, nice one.

FT, L, exactly. If they replaced this road with a straight motorway, the enthusiasts would just choose the next most exciting road.

AM, as long as they're not killing anybody else, that's the main thing.

U, the BBC are so crap at propaganda that they usually give the game away.

Anonymous said...

I have cycled, walked, drove and once motorcycled along that road from Macclesfield to Buxton via the Cat and Fiddle Pub. Never once did I see any 'steep falls' or 'rock faces'. There are indeed gentle slopes into arable fields and hedge-lined avenues, I even did the route on google earth just to ensure my memory wasn't playing tricks with my ancient brainn.
The accidents are caused by excessive speed, which is brilliant fun. I am currently recovering from a broken arm caused by cycling at 10 mph in a village where a small child ran into the road.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Anon, ta for anecodtal but can you refrain from making comments like "The accidents are caused by excessive speed, which is brilliant fun" or some twat will come along and ban it. Oh... right.