Have we been recognised?

[NormanD]

I'm not sure if this has been published on the forum before, but I've been listening to Talk Sport Radio this morning and I heard an advert warning driver to "Watch out for cyclists" could this mean we've been recognised as road users too?

Maybe they should air one which says "Motorists don't pay Road Tax either!"
  ​

 

[Paulus]

Also heard this advert on Radio 2 first thing this morning. Perhaps this is a national campaign by one of the cycling groups such as the CTC?

 

[topcat1]

one's been playing on kiss fm for the last couple of months

 

[Arch]

Watching QI XL last night, the theme was Health and Safety and one of the panelists was Jeremy Clarkson. One of the things mentioned was risk compensation, and the fact that if you put a metal spike in the middle of the steering sheel, you'd cut collisions, because no one would drive more than 5mph. And then seatbelts were brought up, and the statistic that when they were made compulsory, car occupant deaths did drop, but they had been dropping already. But cyclist deaths apparently went up, because people felt safer, and drove more recklessly.

I was tensed, waiting for Clarkson's smart remark about it being ok if it was only cyclists...

And he didn't make one. Or they cut it out, but there was no swift edit, so I really think he didn't say anything.

Progress? On the other hand, the QI audience will be a bit different to the Top Gear one, and he'll know his audiences...

 

[sheddy]

Indeed, JC plays to the gallery and knows his audience, hence the different characters he performs as, in the Sun, the Times, TG etc etc

 

[2Loose]

JC is I think unfairly vilified. Sure he put his size 12's in it a few times in the past with cocky petrol head comments, but I think his comments have been a lot more measured over the last couple of years.

 

[al78]

Watching QI XL last night, the theme was Health and Safety and one of the panelists was Jeremy Clarkson. One of the things mentioned was risk compensation, and the fact that if you put a metal spike in the middle of the steering sheel, you'd cut collisions, because no one would drive more than 5mph. And then seatbelts were brought up, and the statistic that when they were made compulsory, car occupant deaths did drop, but they had been dropping already. But cyclist deaths apparently went up, because people felt safer, and drove more recklessly.

I was tensed, waiting for Clarkson's smart remark about it being ok if it was only cyclists...

And he didn't make one. Or they cut it out, but there was no swift edit, so I really think he didn't say anything.

Progress? On the other hand, the QI audience will be a bit different to the Top Gear one, and he'll know his audiences...

I think sometimes the risk compensation argument can be a little overused. After all, taken to its extreme it would suggest that any safety equipment, in any circumstance is detrimental because of it.

The problems arise only when the magnitude of the risk compensation is greater than the magnitude of the safety benefit.