Another story from yesterday – this time focusing on the “victim-blaming” row currently engulfing Police Scotland after a chief inspector urged pedestrians to wear “reflective or fluorescent” clothing, following the deaths of six people who were hit by other road users while walking in the space of just 13 days – has attracted lots of online debate, with Detective Chief Superintendent and well-known road safety advocate Andy Cox reminding everyone on Twitter that our focus should remain on the actions of “dangerous drivers”:

Cox, the head of crime at Lincolnshire Police and national lead for fatal collision investigations, tweeted under our story this morning: “We rightly never tell a victim of sexual assault what they should, or should not wear, and instead focus entirely on the perpetrator.

“Road crime should be no different. Let’s focus all our attention on the dangerous drivers, who through their selfish actions cause so much harm.”

Cox’s stance has been praised by other Twitter users, who have described the emphasis on hi-vis clothing as the “21st-century version of warning against wearing short skirts while walking down dark lanes after midnight”:

The former lead for Vision Zero at the Met has a been a consistent proponent of amplifying the voices of those affected by road danger and last May spearheaded a campaign to bring road danger reduction to the “forefront of the national conversation and prevent the needless deaths and injury on our roads”.

Incidentally, during that campaign, which saw Cox complete 30 miles of physical activity (such as walking, running, or cycling) per day for a week, the DCS – along with riding companion Jeremy Vine – was close passed by a lorry driver, despite being decked out in hi-visibility clothing clearly emblazoned with ‘Police’ on the back.

After several social media users criticised the cyclists for not riding single file before the close pass – which led Vine to suggest that British motorists have been “dehumanised” – Cox once again took to Twitter to firmly remind everyone that “drivers have a responsibility to protect vulnerable road users. That way everyone gets home safely, alive.”

https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-14-february-2023-299301#live-blog-item-43053

On 14/02/2023 11:52 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Another story from yesterday – this time focusing on the “victim-blaming” row currently engulfing Police Scotland after a chief inspector urged pedestrians to wear “reflective or fluorescent” clothing, following the deaths of six people who were hit by other road users while walking in the space of just 13 days – has attracted lots of online debate, with Detective Chief Superintendent and well-known road safety advocate Andy Cox reminding everyone on Twitter that our focus should remain on the actions of “dangerous drivers”:
>
> Cox, the head of crime at Lincolnshire Police and national lead for fatal collision investigations, tweeted under our story this morning: “We rightly never tell a victim of sexual assault what they should, or should not wear, and instead focus entirely on the perpetrator.
>
> “Road crime should be no different. Let’s focus all our attention on the dangerous drivers, who through their selfish actions cause so much harm.”

The ones who can't see where they're going because their windscreen
wipers don't work and they're too tight to pay to have them repaired?

Or the ones riding or driving vehicles so badly maintained that they
might as well have no brakes?

> Cox’s stance has been praised by other Twitter users, who have described the emphasis on hi-vis clothing as the “21st-century version of warning against wearing short skirts while walking down dark lanes after midnight”:
>
> The former lead for Vision Zero at the Met has a been a consistent proponent of amplifying the voices of those affected by road danger and last May spearheaded a campaign to bring road danger reduction to the “forefront of the national conversation and prevent the needless deaths and injury on our roads”.
>
> Incidentally, during that campaign, which saw Cox complete 30 miles of physical activity (such as walking, running, or cycling) per day for a week, the DCS – along with riding companion Jeremy Vine – was close passed by a lorry driver, despite being decked out in hi-visibility clothing clearly emblazoned with ‘Police’ on the back.
>
> After several social media users criticised the cyclists for not riding single file before the close pass – which led Vine to suggest that British motorists have been “dehumanised” – Cox once again took to Twitter to firmly remind everyone that “drivers have a responsibility to protect vulnerable road users. That way everyone gets home safely, alive.”
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-14-february-2023-299301#live-blog-item-43053
>

QUOTE:Incidentally, during that campaign, which saw Cox complete 30 miles of physical activity (such as walking, running, or cycling) per day for a week, the DCS – along with riding companion Jeremy Vine – was close passed by a lorry driver, despite being decked out in hi-visibility clothing clearly emblazoned with ‘Police’ on the back. ENDS

Yes - I remember that case. The idiot driver got a fine for his silly antics.