Yet another elderly person killed by a cyclist

[Bristolian]

I'm not sure about this.

I do get off the bike occasionally on narrow stretches or when encountering pedestrians.

I do this for a couple of reasons:

To get on the verge of a towpath, for example, and let a group of oncoming pedestrians past.

To reduce the perceived threat i present to possibly nervous or vulnerable people. A static object is less scary than a moving object.

When I want to let the other person make the decision and, by implication, take the responsibility for any bad outcome.

As an example I was on a Riverside path this morning when a group of parents, dogs and toddlers approached from the opposite direction. It made sense to me to stop, dismount and let the various hazards pass.

That's fine for pedestrians coming towards you (and is something I also do) but doesn't help if they are walking in the same direction as you.

 

[Bristolian]

Hmm - Maybe look at available evidence?
Many years ago a friend had a collision with a pedestrian. My friend was stationary at traffic lights and a coach pulled up beside him. A severely obese woman stepped off the pavement into my friend, knocking him into the coach. He ended up with bad bruising. i don't know what happened to the pedestrian, but if she'd struck her head on the ground, would my friend have been guilty of anything in your opinion?

You completely misunderstood my point, which I started by saying "If a cyclist hits a pedestrian". In your friend's scenario he was struck by the pedestrian - that's the exact opposite of what we have been discussing in this thread - so no, I don't think he would have been guilty of anything except maybe being in the wrong place at the wrong time (that's my attempt at humour, BTW).

 

[Fastpedaller]

You completely misunderstood my point, which I started by saying "If a cyclist hits a pedestrian". In your friend's scenario he was struck by the pedestrian - that's the exact opposite of what we have been discussing in this thread - so no, I don't think he would have been guilty of anything except maybe being in the wrong place at the wrong time (that's my attempt at humour, BTW).

And with respect you have completely misunderstood my point .......... Without hard evidence, the courts look to witness testimony which may be from people who believe the cyclist is always at fault!

 

[mjr]

It made sense to me to stop, dismount and let the various hazards pass.

Can't you stop without dismounting and so take up less space?

 

[Alex321]

@ExBrit Back at you

The fact that he was found not guilty does not change my views on the case one iota. If a cyclist hits a pedestrian they are either a) riding too fast for the scenario in front of them, b) incredibly stupid or c) totally entitled. There can be no excuse for it.

Please try visiting planet earth one day.

 

[Time Waster]

Whilst he was not found guilty I believe that in some countries he could have had issues under presumed liability should someone go down the civil route.

There is no excuse for a pointless death no matter how it happened. Was there really no way this could have been prevented by the cyclist having a different set of decisions and actions? I have been on a bike on a towpath many times in not to different situatiions without a death resulting and I am nothing special in terms of cycling behaviour or handling. I really wonder if the cyclist has had any thought about whether he could and should have done something different, that might have prevented the accident made at least in part by him passing this pedestrian? I wonder if he has any realisation on this?

 

[Alex321]

Whilst he was not found guilty I believe that in some countries he could have had issues under presumed liability should someone go down the civil route.

There is no excuse for a pointless death no matter how it happened. Was there really no way this could have been prevented by the cyclist having a different set of decisions and actions? I have been on a bike on a towpath many times in not to different situatiions without a death resulting and I am nothing special in terms of cycling behaviour or handling. I really wonder if the cyclist has had any thought about whether he could and should have done something different, that might have prevented the accident made at least in part by him passing this pedestrian? I wonder if he has any realisation on this?

From the sound of things, this was one where 99.9% of the time, no death would have occurred.