cyclist deaths & the law

Strider590

theclonetrooper wrote: »

Only today I witnessed a male cyclist jump off the pavement in front of the car that was in front of me, on a busy main street in rush hour traffic, then riding across the opposite side of the road in front of oncoming cars and jumping onto the opposite pavement just missing a pedestrian and continued to ride down the pavement.
Nothing new you may think but he had a large Tesco's shopping bag in the one hand that was on the handle bar and he was talking on his mobile phone with the other :eek:.
My wife commented about "what a clucking mick", at least I think that's what she said........
Begs the question if he was knocked off his bike & seriously injured or killed who would be blamed ????

There's a difference between a cyclist and a teenager on a bike. This is part of the problem, people see two wheels and a fleshy thing on top and assume they're all the same.

Same goes for motorbikes or anything else that's not a Eurobox of a car.

Life long bikers do the same with cars, all drivers are called "cagers", because they drive about like complete tw@s in their metal cages, killing bikers.

The average car driver wouldn't be able to tell a top end sports bike from a low end commuter bike, nevermind the branding.... Buy they'd know a Bugati Veyron when the saw one and they can tell the difference between a Ford Mondeo and a Merc C class.

Just because you don't know about this or that mode of transport, doesn't mean they're all the same.

Rolandtheroadie

Seen a clown on a bike in Edinburgh last week, weaving through traffic, jumped a red on the wrong side of the road and shot off down a side street.

Ok, he was wanting to advertise a circus act, but come on, he could have been a bit more responsible,

custardy

Two_Combs wrote: »

Do you realise each offence is split into 3 bands for sentencing?

A lower band careless is not a custodial sentence.

Look back over the thread
feel free to go on about bands
you will see dead cyclists with little recourse from the law

Strider590

custardy wrote: »

Look back over the thread
feel free to go on about bands
you will see dead cyclists with little recourse from the law

Especially when the accident involves a Taxi (or bus) driver, they're considered "professional" drivers and in court, if there is no video evidence or 3rd party witness, their word often counts for more than the rest of us know it to be worth.

Take this incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWeHNjKTpog

If not for the CCTV, that driver would have gotten away with it for sure.

Cycrow

Two_Combs wrote: »

So it would be fair to say you don't know about sentencing guidelines?

so its ok to kill people as long as you do it within the guidelines?

Cornucopia

Cycrow wrote: »

so its ok to kill people as long as you do it within the guidelines?

The law isn't there to relieve the tragedy of a situation, but to administer justice - the two are not necessarily the same thing.

custardy

Cornucopia wrote: »

The law isn't there to relieve the tragedy of a situation, but to administer justice - the two are not necessarily the same thing.

and IMO justice isnt being served in many of these cases

custardy

Two_Combs wrote: »

So it would be fair to say you don't know about sentencing guidelines?

Do I need to? When you can kill two people and walk away

http://road.cc/content/news/60396-coach-driver-cleared-causing-death-cumbrian-cycling-brothers

Cornucopia

What would have been a just outcome?

custardy

Cornucopia wrote: »

What would have been a just outcome?

I would expect to be jailed when I kill 2 people through my own actions
more so if i am more qualified than the average person to do those actions