280 hrs community service, 14 months ban, really?

[BreadBaker]

Cyclist was killed 2 years ago on my commute route. Car pulled out in front of him and he went under a bus. Driver fled the scene and took some time for the police to trace them.

Death by careless driving and just gets 280 hours of community service.

Not sure what I'm thinking. Would a custodial sentence make me safer on the road? What would make me safer? What does it say about how we value vulnerable road users? Aware we had another cyclist die locally the day after the Highway Code changed.

Sussex Police news story

 

[HMS_Dave]

Either way, the driver can complete 280 hours of Community Service over 18 months which roughly equates to 3.5 hours a week and drive again following an extended retest in 14 months. The article doesn't state that the driver fled the scene, but i shall take your word for it. With this in mind, the sentence is clearly not sufficient. It almost makes it seem a future hit and run seem worth the risk, although it begs the question what would happen if she had simple stopped and helped in whatever way she could, what affect this would have had on an already measly sentence... Personally, the driver should be banned for life. Given the fact that the driver fled, i'd have added a custodial sentence...
The Police of course, couldn't help but advertise the new Highway Code changes where it really is inappropriate. At no point has the Highway Code ever said to flee the scene of an accident, mow down cyclists and other road users etc. It wouldn't have helped the poor cyclist if the driver did recite the code religiously and daily in whatever iteration was available...

 

[Oldhippy]

The fact that death on the road is still a common occurrence continues to show that the car is king and life is cheap.

 

[C R]

Cyclist was killed 2 years ago on my commute route. Car pulled out in front of him and he went under a bus. Driver fled the scene and took some time for the police to trace them.

Death by careless driving and just gets 280 hours of community service.

Not sure what I'm thinking. Would a custodial sentence make me safer on the road? What would make me safer? What does it say about how we value vulnerable road users? Aware we had another cyclist die locally the day after the Highway Code changed.

Sussex Police news story

I am not sure a custodial sentence would matter much. A significantly longer ban, say 10 years minimum, would make a bigger difference to road safety.

 

[Johnno260]

I think a custodial sentence sends a message to others, it could save lives if people see a no nonsense sentence for careless driving.

long driving bans as well.

My nephew was just hit and hospitalized this past week by a driver jumping a red light so my view is very draconian and biased currently, but driving isn't a right it's a privilege, if someone's lively hood depends upon driving then they should treat it with more respect.

 

[Ripple]

It's more a rule than exception. One from Kent though it's happened in 2017.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/romney...fter-admitting-causing-cyclists-death-184267/

Judge Lowe gave Penfold a 12-month community order and banned her from driving for 18 months.

 

[Oldhippy]

In many ways it is the ridiculous argument Americans use that it's not guns that kill it's people. The fact that society at large appears to insist on using cars no matter the consequences to us or the environment means nothing meaningful will change. You kill someone with a car you get banned for life no discussion and have your assets given to the relatives of the deceased would the way to go in my humble opinion.

 

[tyred]

The problem is that the sort of driver who is careless and selfish enough to get disqualified will mostly just carry on as before without a licence.

There needs to be a major attitude change in society.

The driver who T-boned me at a junction is being charged with careless driving. My uncle claims it is unfair as the driver didn't do anything wrong (apart from failing to yield at a junction and driving into me when I was right in front of him) and it's impossible to see bikes so can't blame the driver. My physio said it must have been a terrible shock for the driver when he hit me (poor driver, what about me, I'm the one with broken bones) and my solicitor said that it's a very easy mistake to make. With attitudes like that in society the car will always be king.