Ok - have seen this film and CW's summary does report on the content of the video in question. I gather Ealing Road Safety School Advisor is allegedly refusing to show it in Ealing schools as it is "anti-cycling"
Quote:
The bottom line about this DVD pack is its message - which is that cycling is dangerous.. Even though the kids have been trained- two kids are killed on the road straight out
The message is terribel. It is anti-cycling.. anti-walking for that matter. Unless you are in a 4x4 - don't go out ...
I think someone in Ealing lives in La-La land.
Young drivers have been trained.. yet many of these are killed tragically on "first solos"
I think maybe they are trying to tell us that passing a test or a Bikeability satisfactorily does not make us "immediate experts" and we have to be careful and prepared to learn all the time. Bikeability does teach basic bike maintenance checks - yet one in the film did not do so - just like his 17 year old novice "just passed L test" counterpart. I think then that maybe they are trying to get across a message of duty of care and
that mobility on any wheeled transpport requires responsibility perhaps
(which is not what the cyclists want to hear or even heed when a NOTE
minority of them have stuck their heads down their lycra clad bums
)
The DVD is produced by LONDON'S ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
It focuses on 4 young cyclists - who straight after passing their cycling road safety test go out for a ride down a rural twisty road.
The film cuts between the cyclists having fun and the driver trundling along in his car.
One of the young riders is not wearing a helmet - there is a shot of it dangling between the handle bars
Probably the red rag to the bull to a militant type cyclist It is also understood that this youngster has also been told off for not maintaining his bicycle.
This type is the counterpart of the 17 year old who drives off after passing his test in his souped up Corsa.. wearing baseball bat.. loud music ... custom made exhausts and NO seatbelt. Sadly - we are looking at a type who would be just as silly in his car as on his bicycle per the film He's there to show the error of stupidity just like the boys in the Pizza seatblet advert and the lads eyeing up the blonde in pub In other words - he's there as a stereotype for a reason.
The riders disappear into the right hand bend on a very narrow road. The flim cuts to the wide-eyed driver.
The impact is not shown - but shows the shocked horror of the surviving cyclists looking down inot the road.
It then finishes up with - and this is the real nub of the message creating angry hot air amongst cyclists
Quote:
Two Killed. Cycling Tragedy . Cycling Horror
I think perhaps
there should have been a cut to the driver as well.. and a "THINK! COAST with a spell out of how this works for ALL road users INCLUDING the driver along with a clear message that using the roads - no matter what tests you have taken along the way - is a life skill of LIFETIME learning"
As for the Video being shown in the schools. Like every other text book - it requires careful handling by the teachers.
Jessika the headteacher has also seen this package. I asked her how she would handle it and got back the following
Jessika - one of the Swiss riff raff in e-mail reply to me wrote:
Mixed feelings about the overall quality of this DVD. It could do better and if I was giving it a Grade ....
I'd give it a mediocre borderline B Grade. The "B" reflects the "effort made to at least make a video" but I agree that it "could do better in terms of how it conveys the message it is trying to convey"
OK.. video tries to give a message to re-inforce the need to be careful and put what you have learned into actual practice. It maybe tries to point out the dangers of hot-headedness after a major achievement. All kids are very proud when they succeed after all. They "walk on air" in this pleasure of success after all - whether it be a cycling test, music test, dance test, or praise from their teachers in a classroom piece of work.
But I see it with my Bikeability kids. They are really truly delighted with this success as it is a rung on their "growing up ladder". You have to tactfully get them to calm down after this pass. It is just like passing a driving test in terms of pleasure after all.
If I were to show this to our kids here in this school - we'd be discussing it afterwards. Perhaps in small groups with a plenary session at the end with the small group leaders forming a "panel". This also helps them argue and debate properly.
We'd look at the mistakes the riders were allegedly making, discuss he significance of the helmet - but I think I'd be making more of the need to make sure we check our bikes and cars properly and at the mistakes the driver was making too and use the information to form our own strrategy for road safety..
I would also be looking closely at the end "message" and based on the feedback from the targetted audience - namely the kids - would supply constructive criticism as to how to improve the message they are trying to get across which is namely about the dangers of not applying the training after passing a test.
That said - I would also be working quite hard to re-assure our kids that so long as they apply common sense, keep vigilant at all times and encourage that practise does develop expertise - but also a need to constantly be on the alert to learn from every situation out there - that cycling is very safe and a great form of excercise.
I do have a rolling programme with each form split into two PE groups with the result that each follow a full half term of cycling - culiminating with Bikeability tests up to Level Three Advanced. I waged war with the LA to get some funding for this. I won - eventually as you know.
Feel free to post my reply onto the safepeed site. I take the opportunity to convey my condolences to Paul's family.
I have one "cycling bus" coming to this school daily. I have normal buses too.. kids walking into school and some mumpty muppets.
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This was essential for our younger kittens 