Vehicles losing control of themselves

**Bald Eagle** · 9th September 2011, 08:58

Should we be looking at banning cars from our roads. They are obviously unsafe and prone to losing control of themselves.

Recent Police Media release

A new alert is available for you to view on the Police website:

Location: Horokiwi State Highway 2
District: Wellington

Vehicle Crash

Short description: Vehicle Crash

Full description:
On Statehighway 2, Northbound by Horokiwi there has been a car crash and Northbound traffic is down to one lane.
A vehicle has lost control and rolled onto its roof.
Emergency services are in attendance.
Its unknown at this stage as to the cause or injuries sustained.

You can also view the full details of the alert online at:

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/updates/29334

**James Deuce** · 9th September 2011, 09:01

Funny how when motorcycles crash, it's the motorcyclist who lost control. It mus' be coz vey is fick, innit?

**Scuba_Steve** · 9th September 2011, 09:06

I passed this, it was an older mechanical car none of that electric whoodicky to take control, imma say it wasn't the car that lost control... musta been the cliff jumped out & side-swiped the car the car

**Maha** · 9th September 2011, 09:07

....could have been Herbie?...

**avgas** · 9th September 2011, 09:17

Did they check the tyre pressures. We are fortunate that on motorcycles whenever the tyre pressure is not correct the bike will not start.

So I have been told

**Banditbandit** · 9th September 2011, 11:00

The phrasing is the news media self-protecting itself. If the media says "the driver lost control ..." then the media can be sueed for defamation if some other cause of the crash was found .. such as a mechanical fault ... in that case the media has wrongly attributed the cause of the accident to the driver ..

So journalists write "the vehicle lost control ..." Vehicles can't sue ..

**Bald Eagle** · 9th September 2011, 11:06

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

The phrasing is the news media self-protecting itself. If the media says "the driver lost control ..." then the media can be sueed for defamation if some other cause of the crash was found .. such as a mechanical fault ... in that case the media has wrongly attributed the cause of the accident to the driver ..

So journalists write "the vehicle lost control ..." Vehicles can't sue ..

So they don't have any reservations saying "the motorcyclist lost control" - reinforcing the bias that some other cause of the crash may be found is not likely.

**Scuba_Steve** · 9th September 2011, 11:11

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

The phrasing is the news media self-protecting itself. If the media says "the driver lost control ..." then the media can be sueed for defamation if some other cause of the crash was found .. such as a mechanical fault ... in that case the media has wrongly attributed the cause of the accident to the driver ..

So journalists write "the vehicle lost control ..." Vehicles can't sue ..

hmm so there is some money to be made representing vehicles in defamation cases

**James Deuce** · 9th September 2011, 11:14

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

The phrasing is the news media self-protecting itself. If the media says "the driver lost control ..." then the media can be sueed for defamation if some other cause of the crash was found .. such as a mechanical fault ... in that case the media has wrongly attributed the cause of the accident to the driver ..

So journalists write "the vehicle lost control ..." Vehicles can't sue ..

As has been said, journalists and the media companies they work for have no compunction blaming a motorcyclist for losing control, so I doubt libel is behind the wording of "vehicle loses control".

**Bald Eagle** · 9th September 2011, 11:19

Sadly I think it is more a symptom of lazy journalism rather than any prejudicial dislike of motorcyclists.
Our broadcast and print media are rapidly becoming simply a redistribution channel for canned content to pad out the advertising, with no actual inquiry.

**Banditbandit** · 9th September 2011, 11:27

Originally Posted by Bald Eagle

So they don't have any reservations saying "the motorcyclist lost control" - reinforcing the bias that some other cause of the crash may be found is not likely.

Originally Posted by James Deuce

As has been said, journalists and the media companies they work for have no compunction blaming a motorcyclist for losing control, so I doubt libel is behind the wording of "vehicle loses control".

Yes. Don't shoot me - I used to work as a journalist and I understand the media laws and how journalists avoid them ...

If you think that motorcyclists are hard done by, then someone stands to earn money if the media wrote "the motorcyclist lost control ..." and the rider can prove that was not the cause of the crash ... (proof can be quite a difficult thing to get ...)

Originally Posted by Bald Eagle

Sadly I think it is more a symptom of lazy journalism rather than any prejudicial dislike of motorcyclists.
Our broadcast and print media are rapidly becoming simply a redistribution channel for canned content to pad out the advertising, with no actual inquiry.

Yeah - what you are expressing is part of the reason why I am no longer a journo ..

**oneofsix** · 9th September 2011, 11:30

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

The phrasing is the news media self-protecting itself. If the media says "the driver lost control ..." then the media can be sueed for defamation if some other cause of the crash was found .. such as a mechanical fault ... in that case the media has wrongly attributed the cause of the accident to the driver ..

So journalists write "the vehicle lost control ..." Vehicles can't sue ..

You would be pushing it up hill to sue the media because they reported the driver lost control and it turned out to be a blow tyre or something because the media did not try to say why the driver lost control or that the driver was at fault. If they said the car was driven into a bank you might stand a better chance.

Originally Posted by Bald Eagle

Sadly I think it is more a symptom of lazy journalism rather than any prejudicial dislike of motorcyclists.
Our broadcast and print media are rapidly becoming simply a redistribution channel for canned content to pad out the advertising, with no actual inquiry.

Yes, it is also 'tradition' to speak that way. Like talking of accidents instead of crashes or collisions. Just goes to prove that motorbikes are more personal than cages

**Paul in NZ** · 9th September 2011, 12:06

My poor old triumph looses control sometimes and dribbles... Its quite embarassing but seems to please other people a lot...

**awa355** · 9th September 2011, 12:32

Haven't you heard? The School of 'Five Day Journalism ' has been cut back to Three days due to funding cuts. They pick up their diploma on Wedensday afternoon now.