RHYL CYCLING CLUB

From: Paul Loftus, Press and Public Affairs Officer,

7 Saronie Court, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales. LL19 9NJ

Tel: 01745 855281 -  Mobile: 07789200092  -  Email: jopaul@...

John Hamer

Broadcasting Policy Division

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

2-4 Cockspur Street

London

SW1Y 5DH

5 May 2006

Dear Mr. Hamer,

I am in receipt of your letter dated 20 April in response to mine of the 17 March to the Minister.

We are well aware of the complaints procedures - a well ridden route I assure you. Cyclists everywhere are heartily sick of the constant stream of abuse and promotion of violence against them in the broadcast and printed media. This is in spite of international publicity on Great Britain’s worst cycling tragedy.

Complaints to Ofcom do not bring about improvements in broadcasting standards and that is why we are asking for the Minister’s personal intervention to get this endemic mindset changed, particularly when violent behavior towards public road users is promoted.

What is the use of Government, Police Authorities, Local Authorities and other agencies throughout the country trying to reduce road crashes and fatalities when confronted with powerful broadcast messages inciting injury and death towards cyclists?

Please consider this: just a few weeks ago in a BBC1 programme entitled My Family, the father turns to other householders in conversation and says ‘‘……. the best place for a cyclist is beneath the wheels of a juggernaut.’’  Substitute child, elderly woman, blind person or just human being under the vehicle’s wheels and it would never have been broadcast. Why is it alright to say cyclist?

We are not seeking censorship or curtailment in freedom of expression but merely a civilised sense of decency and responsibility by the media when dealing with road safety issues.

Surely a Minister of State has the democratic right and responsibility to encourage the media industry to positively promote road safety issues in place of violent, obnoxious and unacceptable behavior towards road users.

It will not be long before even pedestrians in this country also feel the backlash of the powerful, well funded vehicle user lobbies who believe they take precedence over everyone else and that public highways are for their exclusive use.

In1934  Winston Churchill abandoned the term Road Tax and introduced Vehicle Excise Duty so that vehicle users ‘’…do not think they own the roads.’’

Cyclists use public roads as we have a civic right to do so but drive our vehicles under licence. The income generated from Vehicle Excise Duty is not used directly for road building or maintenance purposes but goes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer as general taxation and spent as he thinks fit. We also contribute significantly to road maintenance and construction costs through local Council Tax contributions and are insured through national cycling organisations or by private arrangements.

Our access to expert legal advice and representation is now much improved and often comes as a great shock to motorists caught up in road crashes involving cyclists.

Your Department should be reminding broadcasters and editors that this is the case at every opportunity because unless you do so tragedies similar to that of January this year will just keep occurring.

Would you be so kind ads to provide some evidence that you are taking up these issues with the media industry as we do not have the resources to do so?

I look forward to receiving some assurances from the Minister at the earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Loftus

Rhyl Cycling Club