War on Britain’s Roads

The Guardian - 30 November 2012

Posted by Victoria Hazael

Cycling groups and MPs condemn BBC1 documentary about road users by Peter Walker in The Guardian. Programme titled The War on Britain's Roads accused of endangering cyclists by stereotyping them as reckless

Roger Geffen, policy director for national cyclists' group the CTC, said they met the film's producers a year ago and provided statistics showing a long-term increase in cycling safety. He said: "Instead of covering this good news story the BBC has instead chosen to portray cycling as an activity solely for battle-hardened males with helmets and cameras. This hostile stereotyping merely scares mums, children and others back into their cars."

The Independent - 4 December 2012

Posted by Victoria Hazael

Cyclists hit out at depiction of the war on Britain’s roads in BBC documentary by Simon Usborne in The Independent.

Ian Austin, the Labour MP and chair of the all-party cycling group in parliament, has called the film “irresponsible nonsense,” while Roger Geffen of the cyclists’ group, the CTC, has accused the BBC of portraying cycling as “an activity solely for battle-hardened males with helmets and cameras”. He added: “This hostile stereotyping merely scares mums, children and others back into their cars.”

The BBC’s 'War on Britain’s Roads': how should we respond?

By Roger Geffen on 6 December 2012

Now that the programme has been broadcast - with some important edits compared with the preview version - Roger Geffen advises against simply venting anger and instead suggests some positive outcomes.

The BBC's 'War on Britain's Roads' programme

If you’ve now seen the broadcast of the 'War on Britain’s roads', it will doubtless be evident why my preview blog said I didn’t think it was entirely bad. And at the same time, the worst of it was truly awful.

Inspiring integrity

BBC1 programme manufactures conflict between road users

By Chris Peck on 5 December 2012

Does the programme - War on Britain's Roads - present an unbalanced and sensationalist view of conditions on the road network? If you think so, complain to the BBC setting out the ways in which you feel it has misrepresented the situation.

Conflict on the road is exaggerated in BBC1's film

Last year Leopard Films - an independent film company - made contact with CTC asking for advice for a programme they were pitching to the BBC on the road safety of cyclists.

Roger Geffen has explained in detail how CTC provided them with information to support the film and sets out its worst aspects.