A response to ‘The Safety & Security issues of Women drivers & passengers’ by Woodcock et al. in World Transport Policy & Practice 7.1 (See C 24763 fo). This article is questioned for its use of an apparently feminist approach to safety which conflates women’s rights with motoring privileges; it is specifically criticised for identifying car occupant safety with vehicle crashworthiness. This critique then moves on to show how the article should not simply be contested, but that its main importance is as a text to be seen as a case study in ‘road safety’ ideology. This leads to a demonstration of certain assumptions which function in a destructive fashion, characterised by an inversion of the road safety policy required for a more civilised transport system. (Author/publisher)
Abstract