Brutal hit and run, Nottingham

[Origamist]

Adaptive cruise control. With queue assistance. Just putting that out there.

Cruise control needs to be used intelligently and in my opinion isn't particularly suited to the UK driving environment. But Volvo drivers tend to be sensible about the technology they purchase.

That's more plausible - but even if the ACC was deployed (possibly inadvertently - it was a courtesy car after all) by the driver - they are still, ultimately, responsible for maintaining the correct distance and speed. The driver abjectly failed in his duty of care towards other road users, ACC or no ACC, but I suspect we agree on that...

However, I suppose the driver could argue that it was a technical fault and he could not override the ACC - this could be checked though.

 

[benborp]

Yup. I think for many cruise control is a distraction rather than an aid.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I have my guess (and I stress GUESS) based on

The video
The fact (?) its a hire car
Experience with the CPS.

Police identify car. Company identify person it was hired to. That person says "oh, I run a business and let any of these 10 employees drive it. I don't keep records on who has it - its outside the office now, any of them could just take it or any of the other pool cars if they need it. You can go ask them if you like".

Ten versions of Shaggy's "wasn't me" follow.

Charge the business owner with failing to report who the driver was. However he's a) not the registered keeper and b) has an excuse which CPS would believe a court would find reasonable as to why he hasn't.

Case dropped as no other evidence as to who the driver actually was.

 

[subaqua]

Adaptive cruise control. With queue assistance. Just putting that out there.

Cruise control needs to be used intelligently and in my opinion isn't particularly suited to the UK driving environment. But Volvo drivers tend to be sensible about the technology they purchase.

it isn't adaptive cruise control on the one in the vid. the pic below shows the grill with adaptive cruise. its low for a reason

i would suggest the driver has hit resume and not LOOKED and the Volvo has accelerated. that doesnt excuse hitting anything. stamp on the brake .

City safety is not bad, but it is not be all and end all. i find the mk 1 eyeball works just as well.
cruise is great for motorways , but rubbish in the city . ( to be honest cars are rubbish for city use) .

 

[Origamist]

More from the uploader of the film "Reginald Scot":

“I was hit right in the small of my back, I received a severe back injury and internal haemorrhaging from the impact. It took 4 months for me to recover from my injuries with a further month of physiotherapy to reach normality.”

”I found out a lot about the way the justice system works in the UK last year… I saw a prosecutor who could not get Hitler convicted and a defence lawyer get all evidence dismissed in court by the magistrates in about 3mins… the police plan was to hope the accused would just admit it… funny thing is the plan did not work.”

 

[benborp]

My oblique reference to the YouTube video in relation to sensible use of driver aids points to one of the possible failures of new safety technology - drivers assuming that the technology is fitted when it isn't, let alone understanding under what circumstances it works or how driver behaviour will override its function.

The ridicule I've faced for looking up drivers' manuals for hire cars on-line before driving away suggests that many people don't worry too much about understanding how their vehicle behaves.

By the way, nothing I suggest precludes the possibility of maliciousness, incompetence or distraction on the part of the driver. I'm just pointing out that there are now new avenues for drivers to remove themselves and others from the road with the flair and élan that new technology provides.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

This one has really got me annoyed. What can be done. How about a private prosecution ?
If the guy needs money for legal aid, I'd pay. He should start a Kickstarter.

 

[benb]

Bit more info.
As suspected above, the registered keeper, or someone further down the chain, refused to give details of who was driving. They got 6 points, but only a £150 fine.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-35472617

 

[Poacher]

Now national news, then, but still being studiously ignored by the Nottingham Post.
If it had been a cyclist in the wrong, they'd have been on it like a pack of hounds!

 

[Deleted member 35268]

it isn't adaptive cruise control on the one in the vid. the pic below shows the grill with adaptive cruise. its low for a reason

i would suggest the driver has hit resume and not LOOKED and the Volvo has accelerated. that doesnt excuse hitting anything. stamp on the brake .

City safety is not bad, but it is not be all and end all. i find the mk 1 eyeball works just as well.
cruise is great for motorways , but rubbish in the city . ( to be honest cars are rubbish for city use) .

The car involved (involvoed) does not seem to have this particular device on the grille, FYI.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I'm just looking for the records now.

I'm just looking through the records now.

 

[benb]

My hunch is that they thought 6 points and a fine would be preferable to whatever they would have got charged with had they identified the driver.
Still, at least this will hurt them financially for quite a while, as insurance companies will load their premiums for this offence.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

However many lease companies were involved, someone at a lease company finally handed a set of keys to someone.
Whoever was given those keys and walked out the door should be prosecuted for attempted murder.

Sit that person in a cell until they come up with the next name in the chain, then lock that one up.

 

[Markymark]

The identity of the person who paid that fine would be an accessible public record?

For what reason? They have been dealt with for what they have done. They cannot be convicted fr something of which there is no evidence. Publishing his details would only serve the purpous of encouraging attacks on a person who has been dealt with by the courts.

 

[CopperCyclist]

My hunch is that they thought 6 points and a fine would be preferable to whatever they would have got charged with had they identified the driver.

Unless they were disqualified from driving, I suspect they were wrong about that.

I presumed from the video uploaders comments that everyone had got away completely scot free. Given our system, that's actually not too bad a result for the circumstances.