Safe Speed Forums

Mark Townsend
Sunday October 1, 2006
The Observer


The minister responsible for reducing Britain's traffic casualties has been dropped from launching National Road Safety Week after he made 'irresponsible' comments defending the BBC's Top Gear.
Stephen Ladyman, who was asked to launch next month's event, has infuriated organisers who claim that his defence of the show glamorised speeding. He had announced he was 'distressed' that critics had used presenter Richard Hammond's 300mph crash in a jet-powered car as an excuse to attack the programme.

Ladyman, the road safety minister, hailing Hammond, 36, as an 'adventurer,' said the programme did not encourage speeding among young men.

Mary Williams, chief executive of national road safety charity Brake, said: 'We are alarmed and disappointed that our road safety minister is taking the time to defend Top Gear which quite blatantly glamorises fast cars and in fact knocks the government's very own speed enforcement. Research quite clearly shows that drivers' attitudes can be influenced by the messages similar to that which Top Gear can promote.

'We also feel that distress was an inappropriately strong word to use, given the distress suffered by families affected by road death and injury caused by speeding drivers.

The charity believes that the credibility of Ladyman should also be questioned, particularly because Top Gear 'mocks' speed cameras which Brake maintains can reduce casualties by around 42 per cent on routes where they are sited.

The minister has been caught three times by speed cameras and once had nine points on his licence.