Cyclist who killed pedestrian gets 1 yr suspended sentence

[Pete]

The bottom line is the big killers are motor drivers, not cyclists, yet the motorised killers rate barely a mention. Elephant in the room springs to mind.

How very true: and you have exactly answered your own question methinks. Road deaths due to motorists are such a big truth that people don't notice it is happening all around them. (Except the few who get directly involved of course). It is so obvious that it gets totally overlooked.

Anyone read the third of Douglas Adam's Hitchiker's Guide series (Life, the Universe and Everything)? The Somebody Else's Problem field? A sort of spell which can be cast over some object, which makes some anomaly so glaringly obvious that people just totally fail to notice it's there: their eyes simply skate over it? My view is that this is based on fact. Albeit a purely imaginary concept, in the middle of a hilariously satirical SF novel, there really is such a thing. And road deaths are a glaring example: at least to your average person.

 

[papercorn2000]

A SEP (Someone Else's Problem) field.

 

[papercorn2000]

A SEP (Someone Else's Problem) field.

 

[craigwend]

Contrast with:

MAGISTRATE FOUND GUILTY OF CARELESS DRIVING

08:00 - 16 November 2007
E Yorks: A magistrate has been found guilty of careless driving that resulted in a motorcyclist being killed.

Joan Brighton, 67, of St Andrew's Street, Kirton in Lindsey, was found guilty of driving without due care and attention at Hull Magistrates' Court.

She was fined £600, ordered to pay £455 costs and was banned from driving for 12 months.
On the evening of the crash, she had been driving a group of friends to Hull for an evening class when her car was hit by motorcyclist Graham Parkin, 52, of Archer Road, Waltham, North Lincolnshire.

Mr Parkin had tried to swerve out of the way of her Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Mr Parkin died at the scene. His pillion passenger, Tracey Pearson, of Hull, was seriously injured, suffering a broken pelvis.

In the 10-hour trial, the court heard how Brighton was a magistrate in Scunthorpe for 17 years before stepping down after the crash on June 7 last year.

She had maintained her innocence throughout the case, stating she had checked to make sure there was no oncoming traffic before pulling out of a layby on the A1077 near Barton-upon-Humber to do a U-turn.

Under cross examination, she said: "I didn't see a motorcycle on that road because there wasn't one there."

 

[Saddle bum]

I expect that Plod will now go to town on any unfortunate they find riding on the pavement. Easy target, good for the crime stats.

 

[TheDoctor]

Certainly easier than dealing with the 80 peds per year killed by cars on the pavement.
One statistic you may like to use at work on Monday (cos sure as hell we'll get the blame for this as well as for all the RLJs) is to ask how many people have been killed by pavement cyclists since, say, 1999.
Extend two fingers. That's how many.
Not that you'll read that in the Daily Mail.
[/rant]

 

[Noodley]

I expect that Plod will now go to town on any unfortunate they find riding on the pavement. Easy target, good for the crime stats.

I doubt it. Most are in offices.

 

[Zoiders]

I find the the fact that a bike was involved is neither here nor there

A person with learning difficulties did a silly thing due to lack of guidance or supervision, some one died, it happens every now and then, its tragic but it cant be helped

Its relavance to cyclists is nill

Move on

 

[Andy in Sig]

Could the learning difficulties be some sort of red herring thrown up by the defence? For all we know it could just mean he's dyslexic. Somebody else said he's got a criminal record, that suggests that he may not be too impaired. Just a point but it might be worth clearing up before any undeserved understanding or sympathy is dispensed.

 

[Paulus]

Partially agree Zoiders, it's the same as a murderer who shoots someone and made their getaway on a bike. The onus seems to be on the bike and the "cyclist" and not a person who happened to be on a bike who killed another person. But, then again, this person, no matter what their state of mind was on the pavement cycling too fast and collided with the unfortunate man. Where do you draw the line? Should all people have IQ or intelligence tests to allow them to operate a bike/vehicle? The roads would be much quieter than they are now.

 

[girofan]

Although I hear on the Forum what everyone is saying, you cannot absolve cyclists misdeads by pointing the finger at motorists!
The idiot was on the pavement doing 25mph according to witnesses.
An idiot is an idiot whether behind the wheel or riding a bike. A custodial sentence may send out a message to other idiots on pavements, learning difficulties or not.
Whenever a road death case occurs there is always the defence claiming special circumstance for the defendant, (he needs his car for employment, he has to transport his elderly mother, he has learning issues, he comes from a brokern home). This has to stop if we are to get justice on the roads and everyone realises that they have to be a responsible user of the road system. And even then 'accidents' will still happen!

 

[Zoiders]

Could the learning difficulties be some sort of red herring thrown up by the defence? For all we know it could just mean he's dyslexic. Somebody else said he's got a criminal record, that suggests that he may not be too impaired. Just a point but it might be worth clearing up before any undeserved understanding or sympathy is dispensed.

Errrrr no

Please do not ever mention dyslexia again in this context you muppet

He will have been identified at the time of arrest and questioning by the police as a vulnerable person, this means someone of reduced mental capacity

Not dyslexia, which I and several others on this forum suffer from

I would run now before the dyslexics lynch you

 

[Pete]

I am led to believe this issue is being discussed later tonight on Radio Five Live and a certain forum member who may go by the name of "simon l and some numbers" may be contributing.

Just noticed this: for those who missed Simon and and want to hear the interview, go to here and step about 1hr 12m into the recording.

 

[simon l& and a half]

Just noticed this: for those who missed Simon and and want to hear the interview, go to here and step about 1hr 12m into the recording.

or don't! A prett abject performance. I plead extreme sleepiness (I dozed off midway through the piece)

 

[Pete]

or don't! A prett abject performance. I plead extreme sleepiness (I dozed off midway through the piece)

You are too modest, Simon me lad! Good performance, who else could have done as much? Mind you I thought that Steve wossisname set up against you was a right a$$hole, bleating on about speed cameras as if it had anything to do with the case! Is he a Small Penis Pith acolyte?