The Road Maniac and Pathetic Punishment Thread

[ebikeerwidnes]

Zero chance of any future offences of a similar nature? Then why do they keep happening? There's basically no incentive to stop driving before you commit a serious offence if you can get out of jail free by surrendering your licence.

I realise the deterrence effect is limited but letting driving offenders off scot-free seems unfair and twisted. Even shoot parking is treated more harshly, with fines being routine.

That is a good reason for better education and publicity and probably for things like compulsory eye tests over a certain age

not for harsher punishment

 

[icowden]

Zero chance of any future offences of a similar nature? Then why do they keep happening?

They don't. Quite frequently once an elderly driver has committed an offence, they stop driving.

 

[icowden]

The nature of the negligence is irrelevant. It's negligence, and it gets people killed.
Offenders shouldn't be rewarded by way of a lighter punishment for simply being careless instead of malicious.

I agree, and they aren't. It isn't a reward. It's tailoring the punishment to the crime to achieve the same end result. There is no point wasting taxpayers money in incarcerating someone for no benefit to the defendant or the public.

 

[Gunk]

That is a good reason for better education and publicity and probably for things like compulsory eye tests over a certain age

not for harsher punishment

I agree, there is too much sanctimonious twaddle here, it’s too late punishing after the event. We need to focus on changing the behaviour and methods to control speed. Smart motorways, although far from perfect IMO have worked, speeds have dropped and driver behaviour is definitely better than on regular motorways

 

[Drago]

Putting dangerous members of society in prison isn't sanctimonious. It keeps the rest of safe.

But yes, more should be proactively done to stop bad sheet happening in the first place, but we shouldn't be relying on the government- the average road user should make a greater effort themselves when behind the wheel.

 

[mjr]

They don't. Quite frequently once an elderly driver has committed an offence, they stop driving.

Because there's no incentive to stop before offending. How would you stop them before?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Because there's no incentive to stop before offending. How would you stop them before?

Compulsory eye tests, reaction tests and possibly even driving tests

 

[brommieinkorea]

Kill - receive one year ban

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8djex4p3zo.amp

You go under the premise that these are accidents. They are not. Anyone who kills with a motor vehicle should be charged with the applicable felony ( murder, attempted murder, assault, manslaughter via neglect etc..) . Doesn't matter if a conviction results, being dragged through the legal system and the expense of defending themselves would be enough to dissuade most of these jerks from running someone down. The offending driver being handcuffed at the scene would be an incredibly powerful deterrent for others like him just driving by. It won't fill the prisons because many of them would beat the charge, and knowing that they'd be arrested if they kill someone would stop most of them.

 

[Profpointy]

Compulsory eye tests, reaction tests and possibly even driving tests

I shouldn't put too much faith in eye tests. My dad was still driving with very poor eyesight and when we finally bullied him into having a test, it turned out he had two cataracts and then said "Yes, I thought it was cataracts". FFS! Anyhow the optician was explaining that he could just about drive whilst I was stood behind him waiving my arms at her and mouthing "NO!" with all my might

That said he didn't hit anyone whilst doddering along like Mr Magoo, despite being in Cardiff where drivers are quite aggressive and unforgiving.

He absolutely should not have been driving though was legally allowed to

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

One of the problems with eye test is that they are done is day light

both my Dad and GrandDad has eyesight that got significantly worse when the light went down

My Dad stopped driving except in full daylight as he realised there was a problem at otehr time
He was fine then - but at night no headlights were good enough to make him safe

so he stopped

but no eye test would have shown that so he could have carried on driving

My GrandDad was the same - but my Dad had to persuade him to stop driving after he asked him to check his headlights were OK as he couldn;t do it himself
He had tried switching them on in his garage but even when he bent down in front of the car with his head up to the lights - he still couldn't tell if they were on or not!!!

I suspect my eyes will go the same way so I will watch out for it

If I do decide that I have to stop my wife's life will change a lot (as will mine) because she needs me to get her pretty much anywhere outside the house

but we have talked about it ahead of time - well before there is any problem - so it will not be a great surprise

 

[raleighnut]

One of the problems with eye test is that they are done is day light

both my Dad and GrandDad has eyesight that got significantly worse when the light went down

My Dad stopped driving except in full daylight as he realised there was a problem at otehr time
He was fine then - but at night no headlights were good enough to make him safe

so he stopped

but no eye test would have shown that so he could have carried on driving

My GrandDad was the same - but my Dad had to persuade him to stop driving after he asked him to check his headlights were OK as he couldn;t do it himself
He had tried switching them on in his garage but even when he bent down in front of the car with his head up to the lights - he still couldn't tell if they were on or not!!!

I suspect my eyes will go the same way so I will watch out for it

If I do decide that I have to stop my wife's life will change a lot (as will mine) because she needs me to get her pretty much anywhere outside the house

but we have talked about it ahead of time - well before there is any problem - so it will not be a great surprise

It's similar to 'twilight myopia' which affects no end of people

 

[Alex321]

You go under the premise that these are accidents. They are not. Anyone who kills with a motor vehicle should be charged with the applicable felony ( murder, attempted murder, assault, manslaughter via neglect etc..) . Doesn't matter if a conviction results, being dragged through the legal system and the expense of defending themselves would be enough to dissuade most of these jerks from running someone down. The offending driver being handcuffed at the scene would be an incredibly powerful deterrent for others like him just driving by. It won't fill the prisons because many of them would beat the charge, and knowing that they'd be arrested if they kill someone would stop most of them.

If by "most" you mean maybe 1-2% at best, then yes.

You seem to be working on the premise that these are deliberate actions. They aren't. You will only be deterred from doing something if it is something you are deliberately choosing to do.

 

[Gunk]

I’m sure the reduction in traffic policing is a major factor, there is very little enforcement so this minority of selfish idiots know they can just get away with it.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-n...ffic-police-down-a-third-over-the-last-decade

 

[grldtnr]

I have a particular interest in this thread, I was knocked off my bike on a narrow country lane that was a NSL ( national speed limit ) with several bends and restricted 30 mph limits on it, the driver was rushing on his way to collect his parents from the airport, ,and lived locally , so they knew the area presumably, but the police reported that ,he wasn't speeding on that part of them road.
The driver lost control, hit the verge and collier with me,and 2 others, I was leading the group, I was airlifted to hospital, so presumably it was considered serious, spent 3 weeks in hospital, and of work a further 5 months, I don't feel I have eve fully recovered from the 'accident'.
So Dragos' assertion of Negligence, I fully support, the defendant got of very lightly in my view, 12 points, a fine, but his licence wasn't revoked, on the other hand my cycling was wrecked, and I had demolished his car, all on the assumption he wasn't speeding ,careless driving , yeah ,right ! Culpability ? what's that? He wasn't being distracted by anyone else in the car, recklessly driving down a road that plainly wasn't suitable to drive at the National speed limit, plain common sense says no, .
Pure & simple ,he was negligent, and driving recklessly

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have a particular interest in this thread, I was knocked off my bike on a narrow country lane that was a NSL ( national speed limit ) with several bends and restricted 30 mph limits on it, the driver was rushing on his way to collect his parents from the airport, ,and lived locally , so they knew the area presumably, but the police reported that ,he wasn't speeding on that part of them road.
The driver lost control, hit the verge and collier with me,and 2 others, I was leading the group, I was airlifted to hospital, so presumably it was considered serious, spent 3 weeks in hospital, and of work a further 5 months, I don't feel I have eve fully recovered from the 'accident'.
So Dragos' assertion of Negligence, I fully support, the defendant got of very lightly in my view, 12 points, a fine, but his licence wasn't revoked, on the other hand my cycling was wrecked, and I had demolished his car, all on the assumption he wasn't speeding ,careless driving , yeah ,right ! Culpability ? what's that? He wasn't being distracted by anyone else in the car, recklessly driving down a road that plainly wasn't suitable to drive at the National speed limit, plain common sense says no, .
Pure & simple ,he was negligent, and driving recklessly

National Speed Limit is a default and is not supposed to be interpreted as "you should be able to do 60 here with no problems"

However some people seem to miss the point that they are supposed to make an intelligent judgement about the safe speed for that road

which can lead to situations like you describe.

that would, from your description, certainly comply with reckless driving
but I suppose the authorities would find it easier to prove careless so went for that instead