Organisation: Active Travel Academy, University of Westminster
Uploaded to Knowledge Centre: 14 September 2022
Every 20 minutes someone is killed or seriously injured in road collisions in the UK. Worldwide, 1.35 million people are killed each year, with road collisions the biggest killer of young people aged
5-29.
Accurate reporting of these deaths and injuries matters. There is growing evidence that poor reporting can confuse or misdirect concern, obscure the solutions, and even engender aggression.
Good reporting can help us better understand the problems and potential solutions. Transport can both aggravate and address some of society’s pressing challenges; from access to work, education, leisure and social opportunities, to climate change, physical and mental health, and air pollution. Through coverage of issues such as road collisions, good journalism shines a light on them, improving accuracy and clarity without sacrificing word counts.
While many journalists already follow good practice, there is always room for improvement.