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I've read more than a couple of news articles recently which report on a road traffic collision between cars and either cyclists or pedestrians. In all cases its obviously the more vulnerable road user that has come of worse, which is of course sad.

So to my question/observation...

In all the articles the make and model of the car involved is featured - either in the article itself or sometimes in the headline. Why?! surely the make/model should have no bearing on the report itself?

A couple of recent examples:

example 1

example 2

I'll get off the now

In the first instance, they stated it was a Porsche with the inference that the car was going [too] fast

In the second, it's filler

And half the time in these reports, they get it wrong

angus wrote:In the first instance, they stated it was a Porsche with the inference that the car was going [too] fast

In the second, it's filler

And half the time in these reports, they get it wrong

I don't see that inference - other than going in the "opposite direction" but that could mean anything. Is it only Porsche Boxter's that go too fast?

No. The same inference would probably apply if the car was BMW, Audi, Lotus, Aston Martin, Jaguar or the like. But when you read quotes like "very experienced cyclist", the article has tried the driver and found him guilty.

Joe Public will criticise a Porsche doing 50 in a national, when he sees nothing wrong with doing 40 in a built up area himself

Neither article actually gives any real information apart from details of the parties involved.

It's a bit like all PTW accidents are reported as a motorbike/motorcycle when riders know that a lot of the in town ones are kids on mopeds/scooters.

Women have complained for ages that newspaper reports always state their age.

I just don't see the need to include it in the articles

And what's PTW?

PTW = Powered Two Wheels

exportmanuk wrote:PTW = Powered Two Wheels

Thanks, that makes more sense now

A pedant said PTW = Powered Two Wheelers