[News] Just 3 years for killing a boy through dangerous driving

[Weststander]

After a little more thought I can better date when the Dutch really got to grips with urban transportation for all.
The angry minority used the early 70's fuel crisis as a stepping stone to bring about permanent change.

In the clip I posted (25 secs to go) there's a section of path that's between 2 banks of terraced houses.
I've got 6p saying that was once a road.
Cars would have been right up against the front of the houses, now they have 2 footpaths and 2 cycle paths.

Night and day in terms of the difference in safety for all.

I think I’ve posted this before, but mobile phones are THE game changer imho. Me wearing a bile helmet, being very aware of drivers bad habits and not cycling at break speeds .... gives me a sense of nothing really bad can happen to me. Touch wood, it hasn’t.

But mobile phones being used whilst driving create a death machine. One could be taken out from behind at 35mph, without the slightest bit of car braking. What are the chances of surviving that, or avoiding life changing injuries?

For the benefit of doubt for furtive or thick NSC petrol-heads who try to turn this into a childish car v cyclist subject, that car driving mobile phone user might take out a motorcyclist, a pedestrian, a kid, someone driving in a tiny car. Their family.

 

[1066familyman]

The point being it won't happen overnight. Change is happening and the more it happens the faster the pace of change. Look at smoking. Widely accepted that smokers could light up where ever they chose, and frequently did. You had non smoking carriages on trains I think from about 1949 and full bans on smoking on trains came in 1984 and then it was 2007 when it was banned from any public enclosed space.

That's a pretty good analogy as it goes.

If you told someone in 1970's England where we'd be today in terms of laws and cultural attitudes to smoking, they'd never believe you.

We've certainly come a long way there, and that does offer some hope.

I fear changing attitudes towards a car culture is going to be harder though, and requires significantly more in terms of financial investment and law changes.

But hopefully, from little things, big things grow. As Stat has already mentioned, Dutch mother's proved battles can be won.

 

[Weststander]

This habitual drink driver wiped out a family. Some solace I hope in the almost 11 year sentence and 16 year driving ban.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-56808036

Once released, I hope police keep an eye on the menace.

Awful for the wife and mum.

 

[faoileán]

If the judge had given her a longer sentence she may have played the racist card, so judge went soft on her to avoid any further BLM tension .... maybe?

Utter codswallop... no offence

 

[Stat Brother]

Tuesday is the usual day for announcing 'normal' killings by vehicle drivers, over the previous weekend.

Thankfully it appears to have been quiet, just the one fatality and even that the police are asking for help as they're unsure of the circumstances leading to the death.


So I give you this testament to how safer cars are...






...for the driver:-


[tweet]1384520579315900421[/tweet]

 

[Stat Brother]

[tweet]1387082905357271045[/tweet]

 

[Weststander]

Tuesday is the usual day for announcing 'normal' killings by vehicle drivers, over the previous weekend.

Thankfully it appears to have been quiet, just the one fatality and even that the police are asking for help as they're unsure of the circumstances leading to the death.


So I give you this testament to how safer cars are...






...for the driver:-


[tweet]1384520579315900421[/tweet]

Looks like double the m-way speed limit. Incredible that anyone walked from that wreckage.

The cnt used public roads as his playground.

 

[Uter]

Looks like double the m-way speed limit. Incredible that anyone walked from that wreckage.

The cnt used public roads as his playground.

"Ahmed was also disqualified from driving for three years and five months after which he will be required to undergo an extended driving test."

It's reasonable for society to question why are people like this ever permitted to drive again. The system is so bafflingly forgiving.

 

[Stat Brother]

This headline, not read the article, isn't gonna go down well with the white van man racist (currently banned) on here:-

[tweet]1393819835436523521[/tweet]

 

[Stat Brother]

West Chiltington - no less.


Drink-driver who ran over 10-year-old cyclist is jailed

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/s...e=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo


Two and a half years without killing someone.
That's how bad this one is.

 

[Zebedee]

Hard to argue that isn't a possibility. Only a possibility though - no more than that.

I think that's a fair observation.

 

[schmunk]

West Chiltington - no less.


Drink-driver who ran over 10-year-old cyclist is jailed

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/s...e=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo


Two and a half years without killing someone.
That's how bad this one is.

Not victim-blaming as such, and the drink-driving is unforgivable, but what on earth was a 10 year old doing out cycling in the dark after 10pm in October? If nothing else, they should have been in bed for an hour or so.

 

[Uter]

Not victim-blaming as such, and the drink-driving is unforgivable, but what on earth was a 10 year old doing out cycling in the dark after 10pm in October? If nothing else, they should have been in bed for an hour or so.

"Her Honour Judge Barnes said there is no blame whatsoever to be put on the cyclists."

Why try to insinuate otherwise?

A child has had his life horribly impacted by the actions of this selfish and irresponsible man.

A more normal reaction would be anger towards this vile person and to perhaps question why we live in a society where it is possible that this person could ever be driving legally again, let alone in 4 and a half years.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

West Chiltington - no less.


Drink-driver who ran over 10-year-old cyclist is jailed

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/s...e=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo


Two and a half years without killing someone.
That's how bad this one is.

Whan an animal.

 

[Weststander]

Two comments.

1. If anyone doesn’t believe in cycle helmets, there’s the proof that they’re invaluable. That would’ve been a kids skull.

2. Keith Vernon is a disgusting piece of shit. Judge Barnes saw through his lies.

 

[edna krabappel]

Not victim-blaming as such, and the drink-driving is unforgivable, but what on earth was a 10 year old doing out cycling in the dark after 10pm in October? If nothing else, they should have been in bed for an hour or so.

He was with other adults who- fortunately it seems- were not hit. But it was OK for them to be out, right, whereas the little boy should have known better.

You are victim blaming.

 

[schmunk]

He was with other adults who- fortunately it seems- were not hit. But it was OK for them to be out, right, whereas the little boy should have known better.

You are victim blaming.

Don't be obtuse - the parent is in charge of the situation.

 

[niknokseagull]

Only just seen this thread .....
My sister was killed on this very day, 15 years ago, on the A303 outside Amesbury after a head on collision. The other driver overtook a lorry on a hill bend. Charged with CDBDD, he was sentenced two the grand total of 2 years. No doubt he was out in 1.
Don't need to tell me that the penalty for taking a life through driving stupidity is ridiculously inadequate and total inconsistent.

 

[Sheebo]

He was with other adults who- fortunately it seems- were not hit. But it was OK for them to be out, right, whereas the little boy should have known better.

You are victim blaming.

Have you understood that right? Seems a tad harsh. He was saying why would parents be cycling at half 10 in the dark with their 10yr old. Fair point, most parents wouldn’t for sure. Very late and potentially dangerous. Just seems a bit odd.

 

[edna krabappel]

Have you understood that right? Seems a tad harsh. He was saying why would parents be cycling at half 10 in the dark with their 10yr old. Fair point, most parents wouldn’t for sure. Very late and potentially dangerous. Just seems a bit odd.

Give over: you have absolutely no idea what they were doing out. There could have been a family emergency; they could have been on their way home much earlier but got stuck because something else happened; it could have been somebody's birthday and he was allowed to stay up late specially; they could have been going two hundred yards from one house to another. If only the parent had been run over, would you be criticising the late bed time of the kid?

How absolutely miserable to judge the parent(s) in this case when the only reason this has happened is because of some selfish, pissed tosser who couldn't be arsed to walk from one part of tiny West Chiltington to another.