Are the Motoring TV Progs Helping Road Safety?
Discussion
I must be getting old.
I remember a time when Top Gear was almost sensible and was interesting to watch. The continued dumbing down (and lets not even debate whether dumbing down is perceived or real) of TV has lead to Fifth Gear, Top Gear, and the infantile Vroom Vroom (which I usually skip through on the Tivo due to the enourmous amount of filler) becoming a homogenous mass of inane eyecandy.
Although I don't watch these programs fanatically I do watch most of them, and I can't remember the last time there was any article on the act of driving itself. Watching Clarkson et al attempt to launch a reliant robin into orbit (although funny, and yet dubious considering where the funds come from) is really on the fringe, and is closer to the program "Brainiac" than anything to do with motoring.
These programs do for our relationship with the car what "Big Jugs" and similar publications do for male/female relations.
Next time you are stuck behind some old duffer in your sports car, and he's not giving you any quarter, remember that he is probably seeing you as one of the class of irresponsible upstarts these programs aim their output at.
Discuss
I remember a time when Top Gear was almost sensible and was interesting to watch. The continued dumbing down (and lets not even debate whether dumbing down is perceived or real) of TV has lead to Fifth Gear, Top Gear, and the infantile Vroom Vroom (which I usually skip through on the Tivo due to the enourmous amount of filler) becoming a homogenous mass of inane eyecandy.
Although I don't watch these programs fanatically I do watch most of them, and I can't remember the last time there was any article on the act of driving itself. Watching Clarkson et al attempt to launch a reliant robin into orbit (although funny, and yet dubious considering where the funds come from) is really on the fringe, and is closer to the program "Brainiac" than anything to do with motoring.
These programs do for our relationship with the car what "Big Jugs" and similar publications do for male/female relations.
Next time you are stuck behind some old duffer in your sports car, and he's not giving you any quarter, remember that he is probably seeing you as one of the class of irresponsible upstarts these programs aim their output at.
Discuss
I agree.
All the focus is on the car and not on the driver. The biggest part of the equation is ignored.
Yep when that old Sunday driving boy sees you in his rear view mirror - he probably thinks you are an irresponsibe yob brought up on an irresponsible diet of Clarkson tomfoolery. Entertaing as a little bit of that stuff is - it shouldnt be the basis for a whole motoring programme. I think that as a broad generalisation cars have become more boring and less individual - so perhaps there is less to talk about.
All the focus is on the car and not on the driver. The biggest part of the equation is ignored.
Yep when that old Sunday driving boy sees you in his rear view mirror - he probably thinks you are an irresponsibe yob brought up on an irresponsible diet of Clarkson tomfoolery. Entertaing as a little bit of that stuff is - it shouldnt be the basis for a whole motoring programme. I think that as a broad generalisation cars have become more boring and less individual - so perhaps there is less to talk about.
Well, heaven forbid that we should have a completely unrelieved diet of 'sensible' stuff, but IMHO the TV motoring programmes have become too silly and I've given up watching them. On 'Top Gear' JC and Co. can be very entertaining and amusing, but the general style of the programmes no longer appeals to me.
I wish they would shift the emphasis more towards advanced driving in an enjoyable and satisfying fashion, but the present format of the programmes presumably pleases a lot of people so I don't suppose it will happen. It is a shame really, as I think it could be regarded as a missed opportunity to do a bit of good, without sacrificing the entertainment content too much.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I wish they would shift the emphasis more towards advanced driving in an enjoyable and satisfying fashion, but the present format of the programmes presumably pleases a lot of people so I don't suppose it will happen. It is a shame really, as I think it could be regarded as a missed opportunity to do a bit of good, without sacrificing the entertainment content too much.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Remember the old public information films, about dipping your headlights... not using foglights in the rain... etc etc? Or even better that old goodyear advert "now, if you drove like that you'd deserve to be called an idiot!"
It wouldn't go amiss for these shows to spend 5 minutes of basic common sense amongst the shinanigans... just the simple things would help... basic roadcraft would be a bonus! Anyway - I'm ranting again.
It wouldn't go amiss for these shows to spend 5 minutes of basic common sense amongst the shinanigans... just the simple things would help... basic roadcraft would be a bonus! Anyway - I'm ranting again.
Not if you are referring to Jeremy Clarkson and his associates, only the over exposure to fantastic cars makes up for their impotent efforts to drive. Road safety would be improved if the three of them stuck to public transport.
Sorry if this goes off track now, but the best comments I heard were from a young lady at the Nurburgring who summed up Clarkson as one who thinks he is gods gift to driving, yet drives like a donkey. His perseverance to lap the ring in less than 10 minutes in a diesel Jaguar S-type became hilarious when the same young lady stated she could do better in a van. Macho man "claimed" 9 min 59 seconds after days of trying, only to see her go round in 9 min 12 seconds at her first attempt, nice one.
Sorry if this goes off track now, but the best comments I heard were from a young lady at the Nurburgring who summed up Clarkson as one who thinks he is gods gift to driving, yet drives like a donkey. His perseverance to lap the ring in less than 10 minutes in a diesel Jaguar S-type became hilarious when the same young lady stated she could do better in a van. Macho man "claimed" 9 min 59 seconds after days of trying, only to see her go round in 9 min 12 seconds at her first attempt, nice one.
scoobmeister said:
Remember the old public information films, about dipping your headlights... not using foglights in the rain... etc etc? Or even better that old goodyear advert "now, if you drove like that you'd deserve to be called an idiot!"
It wouldn't go amiss for these shows to spend 5 minutes of basic common sense amongst the shinanigans... just the simple things would help... basic roadcraft would be a bonus! Anyway - I'm ranting again.
It wouldn't go amiss for these shows to spend 5 minutes of basic common sense amongst the shinanigans... just the simple things would help... basic roadcraft would be a bonus! Anyway - I'm ranting again.
That would be pretty nice. England seems to have issues with public information films, not sure why. After going to Scotland with work a number of years ago they had public information adverts and posters all over the place, and most were damn good common sense reminders! I'm sure they must be effective.
As for the second part. It's a shame that even the existence of the highway code probably escapes some people out there... it's a little like their car manual. "ooohh have I got a flat tyre" checks pressure, "i don't know, what are they meant to be", "ummmm I don't know", car owners manual "what?" argghhhhh.
How people can own and drive a car with such ignorance to it's operation is beyond me.
Dave
I'm not sure they're helping road safety all that much... but I don't think it's fair to argue that they're worsening it, either. People driving badly and making bad choices when driving worsen road safety; rather silly BBC programmes in which 3 blokes take the mickey out of each other a lot do not.
Well... I guess it is just entertainment... I guess I'm being a grumpy old man seeing TV licence money getting spent on what is in essence motoring porn 
I don't care what the private TV companies put out - they have to be populist to survive, but I really don't think the BBC has long to live considering the huge proportion of crap it's putting out these days.
I don't care what the private TV companies put out - they have to be populist to survive, but I really don't think the BBC has long to live considering the huge proportion of crap it's putting out these days.
I never saw the episode with JC at the Nurburgring, but I don't quite see how you expect him to match the time of a professional racing driver who knows the ring like the back of her hand - if you are talking about Sabine.
And I don't think seriously that JC makes many claims for his driving skills.
But I do think they could do a short piece on good driving without damaging the entertainment value of the programme. I remember Jackie Stewart teaching James May to drive a TVR round a track with lots of good stuff - looking well ahead, smoothness, etc. All it needs is someone to pitch them a proposal to do something similar with road driving. Who thinks they are up to doing it? For example, some of our police instructor friends here??
And I don't think seriously that JC makes many claims for his driving skills.
But I do think they could do a short piece on good driving without damaging the entertainment value of the programme. I remember Jackie Stewart teaching James May to drive a TVR round a track with lots of good stuff - looking well ahead, smoothness, etc. All it needs is someone to pitch them a proposal to do something similar with road driving. Who thinks they are up to doing it? For example, some of our police instructor friends here??
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