James Cracknell OBE has accepted an invitation to be a panellist at the Question Time session at the 2015 National Road Safety Conference*.
Famous for his two Olympic rowing gold medals and six World Championship titles, James Cracknell is now president of the London Road Safety Council (LRSC).
In 2010 he suffered a near fatal accident after being struck from behind by a truck while cycling through Arizona during an attempt to cycle, run, row and swim from Los Angeles to New York in record time – an incident that probably would have proved fatal if he hadn’t been wearing a cycle helmet.
After a difficult six-month recovery period, James returned to full fitness taking on more gruelling challenges including ‘The Coldest Race on Earth’ in the Canadian Yukon.
As a result of his life-threatening experience, James began championing road safety and became president of the LRSC in July of this year. He is also vice president of the charity Headway, which provides support for people who have suffered a brain injury.
Upon being named president of the LRSC, James Cracknell said: “Having been the victim of a road traffic accident, I know the devastating impact it can have, not only on the victim but on their family and friends.
“I cycle around London every day and am very aware of the need for all road users, however many wheels they have, to show empathy towards each other rather than antagonism. I plan to ensure this message is heard far and wide during my presidency.”
The Question Time session at National Conference follows the same format as the BBC programme of the same name. Delegates are invited to submit questions in advance for the panellists to answer on the day.
Other panellists include Andrew Perry, crown advocate at Road Safety Support, and Dr Sarah Jones of Cardiff University & Public Health Wales, with others to be confirmed.
Doctors treating survivors of a plane crash in San Francisco, in which two people died and 181 were hurt, have urged manufacturers to consider introducing three-point seatbelts after a number of passengers suffered spinal injuries. Other commentators have suggested that aircraft designers consider installing rear-facing seats, as they provide better support for the back, neck and head in the event of sudden deceleration.
David Learmount, operations and safety editor at the aviation news website FlightGlobal.com and a former RAF pilot and flight instructor, agreed that in the event of a crash rear-facing seats were safer, but he warned that airlines would be unlikely to support such changes due to costs and customer preference. “Lots of research has been done into it and the RAF has rear-facing seats on its transport aircraft because it is proven to be safer,” he said.
As James Cracknell’s career involved rear facing seats would he support these for all vehicles or just sweeps and sculls? Seriously I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
Peter City of Westminster
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Idris,
What evidence to you have for the frequency of crashes caused by vehicles speeding up in response to a cyclist turning off the road in front of them?
Nick, Lancashire
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Here is a true story told to me last week by a retired senior police officer. When he started cycling to meetings at another police station in an area with heavy traffic he noticed that his own division’s patrol cars started to follow him. When he asked he was told that it was not about his own safety but because each time he turned off the busy road the response of the car drivers held back by him was like racing drivers when the starter’s flag is dropped – rapid acceleration which not infrequently lead to crashes.
Idris Francis Fight Back With Facts Petersfield
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