Police, primary and politness

[PK99]

There is clear evidence that actually paying attention to offences such as these, and dealing robustly with them, both leads to a reduction in more serious offences (as people don't go on to do worse as they've 'got away with' minor offences) and to an improvement in public satisfaction with policing.

The logic of your point leads inevitably to the prosecution of every RLJing cylist.

Personally, i want the police chasing down the burglars who (twice) entered my house while we were asleep upstairs with small children, not wasting time prosecuting road users for simple errors.

 

[Hacienda71]

Bringing back cycling proficiency and make it compulsory at all schools. Teach everyone how to cycle safely and then they will have empathy with cyclists when they become car drivers in later life.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Bringing back cycling proficiency and make it compulsory at all schools. Teach everyone how to cycle safely and then they will have empathy with cyclists when they become car drivers in later life.

I'm all for that. More work for me then

 

[Origamist]

The logic of your point leads inevitably to the prosecution of every RLJing cylist.

Personally, i want the police chasing down the burglars who (twice) entered my house while we were asleep upstairs with small children, not wasting time prosecuting road users for simple errors.

In the example cited, the cyclist suffered a serious injury, not a broken nail. It might be a "simple error", but it is one that can have very serious and occasionally fatal consequences.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

In the example cited, the cyclist suffered a serious injury, not a broken nail. It might be a "simple error", but it is one that can have very serious and occasionally fatal consequences.

Just a thought but if the door was only opened 6 inches wouldn't the cyclist have hit the cars wing mirror even if the door had stayed shut.

I honestly believe that cyclists need to take some responsibility for their actions and understand hazard and risk perception. Would a car driver pass a parked car that closely without choice? I very much doubt it.

 

[snibgo]

... riding in the middle of the road ... riding in the middle of the road ...

At the risk of being pedantic or patronising, I hope the OP and others understand the difference between a "road" and a "lane".

 

[Origamist]

Exactly, it also has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt. That's an extremely high burden of proof.



Yes poor wording on my part, the cyclist did contribute to the accident by being in the door zone but clearly that isn't the cause. They cyclist broke a bone in her knee, no damage to the bike or the car, no corroboration at all, one word against another.

Incidentally one word against another is 50/50, that's a not guilty verdict straight away.

In addition the highway code says you should "Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path" when cycling. No defence solicitor in the world would not bring this up in court. The driver was adamant they checked and nothing was there, they then opened the door only 6 inches before the cyclist hit.

Not easy to make a decision is it? Proceed and you are potentially wasting thousands of pounds of taxpayers money, don't proceed and the car driver potentially gets away with an illegal act.

I might add that I was swinging in favour of prosecution but once I'd discussed it with supervision the lack of any independent witnesses killed it.

Dave, what would get alarm bells ringing in my head when the driver said he only opened the door 6 inches is that many wing mirrors protrude further from the vehicle than this. For this reason, cyclists very, very rarely cycle less than 1 foot from a car door, if they did cycle as closely as the driver suggests, hardly any vehicles would have wing mirrors!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Dave, what would get alarm bells ringing in my head when the driver said he only opened the door 6 inches is that many wing mirrors protrude further from the vehicle than this. For this reason, cyclists very, very rarely cycle less than 1 foot from a car door, if they did cycle as closely as the driver suggests, hardly any vehicles would have wing mirrors!

See post number 127

 

[Origamist]

Just a thought but if the door was only opened 6 inches wouldn't the cyclist have hit the cars wing mirror even if the door had stayed shut.

I honestly believe that cyclists need to take some responsibility for their actions and understand hazard and risk perception. Would a car driver pass a parked car that closely without choice? I very much doubt it.

Cross posted with para 1.

I see car drivers pass dozens of cars with only inches of clearance on the road I live on.

 

[Dave W]

Your reply actually supports my comments as you have confirmed that in general, Police have a poor attitude at incidents and also that they prejudge, as you have in assuming that I don't deal with conflict and emotion on a regular basis or expecting I don't have enough knowledge of Polic operations to know that what you describe would be far, far from a normal day even in the worst of areas.

Some people remember that they are public servants and manage to do it politely and respectfully understanding that they are understandably emotional and still manage to listen to what someone is saying instead of simply assuming it's just another scrote trying to wriggle out of things.

The bulk of people are honest and law abiding, little wonder so many seem to be hostile to the attitude of some Police officers.

I fail to see how anything I have posted has any relevance to the above.

I'm just tryng to give a view from the other side so to speak, quite why it would reinforce your already biased opinion is unknown to me. I don't see where I wrote about having a poor attitude at incidents or prejudging anything but whatever floats your boat.

Anyway, I'm done here so enjoy the rest of the thread.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Cross posted with para 1.

I see car drivers pass dozens of cars with inches clearance on the road I live on.

i also see wing mirrors dangling or on the floor having been knocked off, quite regularly on my commute, i doubt very much cyclists would have done that, i wonder who?

 

[PK99]

If a car driver opens a door thereby injuring a cyclist isnt it either due to the driver not taking due care and thereby accidentally causing the injury or if they did check before opening the door and still did it then they did it deliberately.

No. It is possible to look and not see.

I'm sure we have all seen the gutter hugging cyclist 6 inches from the kerb who comes up behind a parked car pulls out tight behind and passes 6 inches from the car. It is perfectly possible in those circumstances to imagine the driver taking real care and still not seeing the cyclist who had "appeared from nowhere".

He said, she said!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

No. It is possible to look and not see.

I'm sure we have all seen the gutter hugging cyclist 6 inches from the kerb who comes up behind a parked car pulls out tight behind and passes 6 inches from the car. It is perfectly possible in those circumstances to imagine the driver taking real care and still not seeing the cyclist who had "appeared from nowhere".

He said, she said!

Yep. Yet another reason not to ride in the gutter.

 

[400bhp]

:sigh:

Another CC thread goes the same way.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I fail to see how anything I have posted has any relevance to the above.

I'm just tryng to give a view from the other side so to speak, quite why it would reinforce your already biased opinion is unknown to me. I don't see where I wrote about having a poor attitude at incidents or prejudging anything but whatever floats your boat.

Anyway, I'm done here so enjoy the rest of the thread.

I didn't expect you would be able to see it, especially as you've already set your mind on me having a biased opinion and a closed mind.

You're simply adding to the perception that you don't have very good people skills. It's a shame because the other Policeman posting seems better equipped and more open minded.

Your response does your profession no credit.