Road Collision Reporting Guidelines – Why we Need Them

20 May 2021

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.

These new guideline s from Laura Baker are intended to provide an industry standard by consensus, acting as a supplement to existing industry codes of practice to help journalists, publishers and broadcasters produce the highest standards of reporting on road collisions. They have been produced in collaboration with academics, road safety and policing organisations, and with journalists, broadcasters and editors in the media.

The guidelines can be downloaded here.