bad press

[Redstar]

tonight I was on my way back from east tamaki and got diverted at pakaranga by the nice men in blue. thought it a bit odd got home for the late news to find a biker was killed there tonight 1sT fatality of the weekend.

[bikerboy]

Problem is the news never gives you the facts, how did it happen, was it the cars fault, the bikes?, road etc.. Did he/she have a family?

No, just that a motorcyclist was killed in an accident. That is always sad but it also comes across as the biker's fault, ie." another speeding reckless young hoon crashes." that's what the general public hear.

??

[aff-man]

My dad was at the plaza and apparently it was the cars fault.The bike might have been going to ast but a car had tried to cut across the road in front of him and did not make there were other cars aroung so chances are he wasn't speeding hmmmmm more bad press this sux

[bikerboy]

Why didn't the news say " A motorcyclist was hit and killed by a motorist driving through Pakaranga plaza. He was survived by....
Policde are investingating the exact circumstances.

Too hard and

[SPman]

Do I detect a certain note of......cynicism...creeping into your views, BB?

[Goddess of Goof]

Yeah, BB,  but if the news said "a motorist hit and killed a motorcyclist"

all my people would tell me, even more often, that motorcyclists are in a lot of

danger. Well we all know that, but saying that "a motorist killed a motorcyclist", while probably true, isn't going to raise public perception about motorcycling. It's going to lower it.

It isn't helping to make the roads safer.  Hitting and killing a motorcyclist might become more "commonplace" if it was said too often in the media.

It might make it worse......motorbikes would be seen as being extremely vulnerable modes of transport, and the wowsers would openly call for their total abolition on public roads.

And remember, no motorist deliberately sets out to kill someone when they go to the shops on a Friday.

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