Damn Scaremongering

8 replies

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 15/04/2008 12:48

Has anyone else noted the tone of reportage over the Crash in Ecuador?
Last night bbc news seemed to suggest that we should top our children taking gap years or travelling abroad.

Surely, tragic as it is, it was a coach crash, thats all, and could have happened right here in Safe old England!?

OP posts:

GetOrfMoiLand · 15/04/2008 12:50

Exactly, like the National Express which crashed at Heathrow last year.

It's a slow news week I reckon...

OverMyDeadBody · 15/04/2008 12:51

We should all wrap our kids up in cotton wool and never let them out of our sight or out of the house. Good forbid they even think of doing anything that involves some element of risk

belgo · 15/04/2008 12:53

Four people including three children were killed in a car crash in my sister in law's surbarban street here in Belgium. In a 20 mph speed limit, in a small, safe town.

On the same day 7 people were killed in a car crash in Gloscestershire.

Yes, it can happen here.

marina · 15/04/2008 12:53

Agree. Within the same 24 hours yet another fatal road accident on one of the nastiest roads in Britain claimed three lives and left another person near dead in an ICU - barely any coverage.
I think the media have been somewhat thwarted by the extremely sensible man who runs the Gap Year Company though.
I suppose one big difference is that a lorry driver in the UK who legged it would probably not have got far...

Original poster

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 15/04/2008 12:56

Glad to just hear on radio 1 one of the survivors urging people to ignore the press and that world travel is a valuable experience. Smart girl.

OP posts:

Upwind · 15/04/2008 13:22

I've travelled a lot in developing countries and IME the risk of road accidents is very much greater. You see so many & it is the one thing that really worries me.

It seems a little strange to me that on MN booster seats are taken so seriously for children within the UK and yet the very serious risks to teenagers on gap years are almost trivialised...

At the same time, being aware of those risks never stopped me from travelling and won't stop me now.

belgo · 15/04/2008 13:29

It is important to be aware of those risks. For example there is a very dangerous road in Bolivia that we refused to travel on due to the risk (mountain road).

ecoworrier · 15/04/2008 13:32

I agree, Upwind. Yes, there is a lot of scaremongering and if you believed everything, you'd never go anywhere or do anywhere.

Yet at the same time, like you say, road conditions and the way people drive and use cars/buses in some developing countries are much different to here, and in many cases more dangerous.

When I was in Africa I was often really concerned, even scared, about the state of some vehicles, really not roadworthy at all. Then there was the number of people crammed in, and the seeming lack of rules of the road or attention to any rules there were. It didn't feel safe at all, and I understand accidents were fairly common.

I'm not sure what the answer is though. I still had a wonderful time and have great memories. But yes, if it were my child, I would be worried, although there are probably much greater dangers here at home.

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