rammed from behind, cops say your fault.

[glenn forger]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...nottingham-police-cyclist-video?commentpage=1

Unbelievable, the police are institutionally prejudiced against cyclists.

 

[numbnuts]

How can he be in the wrong, crazy or what

 

[glenn forger]

just beyond belief. none of us stand a chance, the driver sounded the horn three seconds before impact, the driver had seen the cyclist, then rammed him, then both get out and threaten and abuse the cyclist. but the drivers going on a course and the woman got a caution, so that's ok.

WTF is wrong with the police?

 

[Boris Bajic]

I think the woman may be Lauren Cooper, about whom Catherine Tate made some disturbing documentary programmes a year or two ago.

What a horrible mob in the car! I quite understand that our emotions can get slightly stretched on the day of a funeral, but that was unpleasant and dangerous.

Nonetheless, I do not find the police response about respecting funeral corteges inappropriate. I have been in many, walked past many and driven and cycled past many. It is usually pretty clear which cars are part of one and which are not.

I am surprised the malefactors got off as lightly as they did, but these things happen.

I am not victim blaming. The occupants of the car were bestial in their aggression and conduct. The driving was also dangerous and aggressive.

Nonetheless an experienced road user (and who else would have a Brooks on a Brompton but a man of experience?) might have guessed that he was in a line of vehicles containing mourners and let them pass as a group.

He didn't, which is not a crime. They rammed him and then threatened him, which is.

 

[Mushroomgodmat]

"But officer....I was having a bad day".

fark me.....

 

[The Horse's Mouth]

Unbelieveable. The police are an absolute joke when it comes to us cyclists. Id give up on them, if i hadnt already in the 80s when they were Maggie's private army.

 

[Monkreadusuk]

Appalling attitude by the police here and terrible outcome. It's stuff like this that needs to change. If I was driving and a child was crossing in front of me, would I just get an awareness course if I just ran him over? I doubt it!

 

[steve6690]

The driver was offered an awareness course. This is an alternative to prosecution (which teaches the driver nothing usually). So as far as the police are concerned the collision was his fault. The passenger was cautioned for abusive behaviour.
The cyclist was not in the wrong and that email from the police officer doesn't say that he was, not even partially. What the email says is that road users should be aware of what's going on around them and be prepared to drive/ride defensively. As a piece of advice it is solid. The fact that you were in the right is cold comfort to your relatives when you're dead.
I don't agree that a court would accept as mitigation the fact he clearly didn't stop to allow the cortege to pass. In fact, if that video had been played in court the magistrates would probably come down hard on the driver.
The cyclist moves properly into the centre of the lane well before the right turn. The white hatchback then overtakes which is fine because there is room to do so. However the Peugot cannot overtake because there is an approaching "Keep left" bollard in the centre of the road. At this point the Peugot is still behind the cyclist and it cannot overtake. It then rams the cycle from behind. Clearly Dangerous Driving IMO. You can hear a female voice shouting that the cyclist simply pulled out. This is wrong. He was already "out" before the white car passes him. You can clearly hear a horn sounding, and shouting before the collision that they're part of a funeral i.e "get out of my way". Inexcusable.
Personally, had I been investigating this, I would have recommended prosecution and would have tried to get CPS to run with Dangerous Driving.
I would ask that CPS review the case

 

[glenn forger]

The cops seem to be saying the cyclist should have waited till the entire cortege passed. I'm not sure how you are supposed to tell which vehicle is part of the cortege, but I must admit if I was being followed by a crappy beat up car with a woman in a flowery summer dress bellowing obscenities from the window, I would not immediately assume they must be on their way to a funeral.

 

[HLaB]

The video is blocked for me but the report makes it quite clear

 

[Monkreadusuk]

The cops seem to be saying the cyclist should have waited till the entire cortege passed. I'm not sure how you are supposed to tell which vehicle is part of the cortege, but I must admit if I was being followed by a crappy beat up car with a woman in a flowery summer dress bellowing obscenities from the window, I would not immediately assume they must be on their way to a funeral.

Secondly, I'm sure that a whole 20-30seconds wouldn't have meant they missed the funeral.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Good job the driver wasn't an ex-england footballer or he might have got off scot free.

 

[dodd82]

The driver was offered an awareness course. This is an alternative to prosecution (which teaches the driver nothing usually). So as far as the police are concerned the collision was his fault. The passenger was cautioned for abusive behaviour.
The cyclist was not in the wrong and that email from the police officer doesn't say that he was, not even partially. What the email says is that road users should be aware of what's going on around them and be prepared to drive/ride defensively. As a piece of advice it is solid. The fact that you were in the right is cold comfort to your relatives when you're dead.

I appreciate your point, but what would be the difference to contacting a rape victim and advising them about the dangers of walking home alone, along unlit streets?

There's a time and a place to offer advice.

In my opinion, when you have a victim in front of you, all you should be doing as a police officer is comforting that person, and reassuring them.

Whether what the police officer has said in this instance is sound advice, in my view it's misplaced.

 

[Hip Priest]

If those were my grandchildren then death would come as a blessed relief.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The driver was offered an awareness course. This is an alternative to prosecution (which teaches the driver nothing usually). So as far as the police are concerned the collision was his fault. The passenger was cautioned for abusive behaviour.
The cyclist was not in the wrong and that email from the police officer doesn't say that he was, not even partially. What the email says is that road users should be aware of what's going on around them and be prepared to drive/ride defensively. As a piece of advice it is solid. The fact that you were in the right is cold comfort to your relatives when you're dead.
I don't agree that a court would accept as mitigation the fact he clearly didn't stop to allow the cortege to pass. In fact, if that video had been played in court the magistrates would probably come down hard on the driver.
The cyclist moves properly into the centre of the lane well before the right turn. The white hatchback then overtakes which is fine because there is room to do so. However the Peugot cannot overtake because there is an approaching "Keep left" bollard in the centre of the road. At this point the Peugot is still behind the cyclist and it cannot overtake. It then rams the cycle from behind. Clearly Dangerous Driving IMO. You can hear a female voice shouting that the cyclist simply pulled out. This is wrong. He was already "out" before the white car passes him. You can clearly hear a horn sounding, and shouting before the collision that they're part of a funeral i.e "get out of my way". Inexcusable.
Personally, had I been investigating this, I would have recommended prosecution and would have tried to get CPS to run with Dangerous Driving.
I would ask that CPS review the case

What are the police approved markings for the last car in the cortege, just so we can be sure to be aware of what's going on around us? Does it also apply to wedding corteges too?