Motorbikes have 6,000 accidents a day!!!!

[Silent Whale]

File under 'must be true because it is in the News of World' - but in this case this is not the important issue. This is maligning reporting in a couple of senses. Firstly, that it will put people of biking and secondly it has been rolled in with quotes from a survey by Post Office Motorcycle Insurance (who?) which says ridiculous things like 'One in ten admits to driving with NO LIGHTS at night' - what numpties did they ask?

Is it just me or does it make anybody else's blood boil? If they can't come up with a legimate source for the numbers then I will demanding a retraction of the story. Seriously!

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/865340/Hell-on-wheels.html

I tried to post a message but it hasn't appeared! This is what it would have said:

"I object to this 'story' entirely.

Firstly please publish a link to the 'study' where I can read about these '6,000 accidents a day'. Figures like these would put off anybody thinking about getting a bike!

'One in ten admits to driving with NO LIGHTS at night' - seriously? What sort of morons did they ask? What would be point of not using lights? I can only think, perhaps, joyriders? Thieves? Not really motorcyclists then.

The way this article is written seems to be a mix of a 'study' and a 'survey' rolled together in a scare mongering way. Or even just a ploy by the Post Office Motorcycle Insurance (who?) to hike policy prices."

[S Barker]

If anyone thinks it's not 100% true report it here :

http://www.pcc.org.uk/

[Silent Whale]

I may go down that route with the PCC but for now I emailed the lady who wrote the artilce.........

Hi Sophie

I've been trying to post the message below against your article on the NOTW website with no luck. Please could you answer the points?

Many thanks

Neil

"I object to this 'story' entirely.

Firstly please publish a link to the 'study' where I can read about these '6,000 accidents a day'. Figures like these would put off any body thinking about getting a bike!

'One in ten admits to driving with NO LIGHTS at night' - seriously? What sort of morons did they ask? What would be point of not using lights? I can only think, perhaps, joyriders? Thieves? Not really motorcyclists then.

The way this article is written seems to be a mix of a 'study' and a 'survey' rolled together in a scare mongering way. Or even just a ploy by the Post Office Motorcycle Insurance (who?) to hike policy prices."

Her reply was......

Neil,

Thank you for your email and feedback - apologies that you have experienced a glitch with our website.

My story on Sunday was based on a study by Post Office Motor Insurance, who conducted an extensive survey of 1,000 motorcyclists. The study was carried out by researchers OnePoll in May 2010. As you will know, this is the usual way in which research of this kind is conducted and received what is considered a substantial number of respondents.

Unfortunately the information is not available online so I cannot provide you with a web link.

I am sorry if you feel the piece was not reflective of the wider motorcyclist community, and thankyou again for taking the time to send in your views, which have been noted.

Best wishes,

Sophy

Consumer Correspondent
News of the World

To which I have replied....

Hi Sophy

Many thanks for your swift reply - to be honest I didn't expect one at all - so thank you for taking the trouble.

However, I'm more concerned over the mix up between 'study' and 'survey'. I think we can discount the Post Office Motor Insurance 'extensive' survey as having shot themselves in the foot. I don't see motorcyclists beating a path to put business their way!

Your article claims a 'study' showed '6,000 injuries' per day' - this obviously didn't come from the 'survey' - this is what I am really querying: where did this figure come from?

The 'glitch' with posting on the website has now affected another four of my friends who have tried to pass comment!

All the best

Neil

No answer as of yet.

[Tarwdu]

They must have confused the photo with the headline.

It should read  "Another BMU rolls off the production line"

Are you sorry yet? TPD

[jp]

on the other hand there was a positive biking item on 'Womans hour' today.

The ' bikes are dangerous' story is a perennial winner because
a) for various reasons riding a bike is more dangerous than driving a car.
b) the majority readership doesn't ride themselves and sees bikers as getting away with something they can't,  or as disreputable/threatening.

If you want to go about in a permanent rage then make your supplier of info such rags as News of World or Daily Mail, although I suppose its a good idea that someone is keeping an eye on them and challenging the wrong or spun up facts; posting them on a News of World website is a bit futile tho'.


on the other other hand as I sit in my peaceful garden on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the birdsong competing with the wail of Ninjas on the bypass 3 miles away and the whine of the occasional modified moped on the road outside I can see their point of view.

and yet, Sophy's piece on the M&S launch of their cheese and Marmite sandwich was a triumph of tabloid journalism, a perfect combination of misleading and wrong facts about a subject nobody should waste 2 seconds thinking about topped of with a duff headline, ie 'Sarn of the times'

[The Prodded Dog]

They must have confused the photo with the headline.

It should read  "Another BMU rolls off the production line"

Are you sorry yet? TPD

Not at all my whisky drinking welsh buddy. Roll on VUK. Make a change from invading Poland. Much more liebensraum in Norn Iron.
TPD

[Dee Dub]

Some interesting figures on page 11 of this:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Social-Trends40/ST40_Ch12.pdf

Yes, motorcycling has the highest death rate "per billion passenger kilometres", nearly three times as many as walking, but then we travel further in a given period of time. Notice that all figures are falling.

On page 12 of the government report it says there were 19 killed in 2008 (latest figures published). This makes the News of the World figure of 472 for "last year" look incorrect. (That's still 19 too-many though...)

[gingerchin]

take your last ride/trip that you had on your motorcycle ! you seen ..................

1... a bloke in shorts,teeshirt  and trainers  on a pre '95 CBR 600 or similar

2... an Aprilla/Peugoet scooter with a juvenile who didnt realise the helmet actually pulls down over his head

3... No2s sidekick on a similar bike only this time has an "L" plate complete with a pillion !!

4... several one armed motorists with a prosthetic upper limb holding there mobil fone to their ear !

5... NO ACTION BEING TAKEN BY OUR "SAFETY CONCIOUS"  TRAFFIC  POLICE who think they wont pay the fine and they dont have a license to endorse so lets go catch some real motorcycling criminals !!

all off the above have one thing in common " NEWS OF THE WORLD"   :rtfm:  

[LazyRider]

On page 12 of the government report it says there were 19 killed in 2008 (latest figures published). This makes the News of the World figure of 472 for "last year" look incorrect. (That's still 19 too-many though...)

I don't think you are comparing like for like figures.    The government report is 19 per xxx miles.  the NofW figures are a total number?

In Essex alone some 20 or so bikers are killed each year - most of them 'whilst of unsound mind under the influence of a motorcycle'!

[Silent Whale]

Working from these figures published here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/motorcycling/motorcyclingstats2009

I make the total injuries (including deaths, and all size engines) to be an average of 59 per day NOT 6,000.

As my correspondence with the NOTW has now dried up after me pressing them for explanation I have now lodged an official complaint with the Press Complaints people.

[Silent Whale]

I have a letter from the Press Complaints Commission saying they are following up my complaint.

They have sent copies of my correspondence and facts to the NOTW and are awaiting a reply.

"I will keep you informed of the progress of our investigation into this matter."

[LazyRider]

I have a letter from the Press Complaints Commission saying they are following up my complaint.

They have sent copies of my correspondence and facts to the NOTW and are awaiting a reply.

"I will keep you informed of the progress of our investigation into this matter."

I do not get the NofW, so other members will have to update me on the write up they do of 'Silent Whale'

[Silent Whale]

Finally after much negotiation between all parties I settled for a letter (edited) in last weeks NOTW (22 August). They refused to add any comment about them being in anyway wrong.

I've also got a two week slot as the first message on the online article - until they have to remove the whole article after that time.

At the moment the case is closed except the PCC has to go through it's own two week process before issuing a statement.

A very small victory but perhaps somebody in the motorcycle press will pick up on the PCC statement when it is issued?