The team behind the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines have been busily working behind the scenes since last Autumn's consultation and have recently announced that following conversations with journalists and editors, media professionals, legal and policing experts, they have finally launched the UK's first media reporting guidelines for road collisions.
The new ten-point Guidelines are hosted on their website, along with the consultation report detailing their journey from the draft guidelines to the current guidelines. The webiste also conatins a references document which illustrates some of the thinking, interviews and evidence behind the guidelines.
The web address is:www.rc-rg.com/guidelines
The public consultation on draft Guidelines in Autumn 2020 received almost 200 respondents from members of the public, road safety organisations, media, legal, and policing professions, 72% of whom agreed with the Guidelines’ principles, with a further 21% supporting its aims. RTALS LLP responded positively towards the consultation at the time.
The ten Guidelines are supported by prominent road safety and road user organisations and professionals, including the AA, the FIA Foundation, RoadPeace, the Transport Research Laboratory, and Transport for London, British Cycling, Cycling UK and Living Streets.
The ten clauses speak to core journalistic principles of accuracy, fairness, non-discrimination and justice. Clauses recommend journalists, among other things, avoid use of the term ‘accident’, say ‘driver’ instead of ‘car’, and provide context to road collisions, rather than presenting them as isolated incidents. The Guidelines also offer journalists some contacts in road safety, policing and law.