Cyclist escapes prosecution after fatal collision with pensioner

[Ajax Bay]

Those guys are not racing

This ^ ^. They are riding on public roads with other road users and need to obey road signs (eg keep left), recognise their place in the vulnerability hierarchy and the likelihood that others may not be as situation-aware as any cyclist riding at 20+mph is. The 20mph limit sorts out the cars: care for all others. And if you're on someone else's wheel at 25+mph you can say as much as you like: 'I was looking ahead' but your primary focus is on the wheel one metre ahead, not the pedestrian (with or without dog) who might cross the road 30+m ahead.
On normal roads you might be on the lookout for potholes but on a loop like Regent's Park the surface is good and any complications will be well known once you ridden round there half a dozen times (so you may well not "look").

 

[numbnuts]

View: https://youtu.be/T3PJOujwEiU?si=9fHl0vpocVAq47lN

 

[PK99]

.

Not sure if covered, but some context about Regents Park.

Those guys are not racing inside the park, but on public roads that circle around the park. Usually the cyclists ride anti clockwise and so have to negotiate, iirc,.one junction and 3 or 4 pelican crossings plus one traffic light.

Roads that are generally perceived a being IN the Park

The Road goes through the Zoo. Most folk think and say the Zoo is in the Park. Technically it is north of the park.

 

[PK99]

Not sure if covered, but some context about Regents Park.

Those guys are not racing inside the park, but on public roads that circle around the park. Usually the cyclists ride anti clockwise and so have to negotiate, iirc,.one junction and 3 or 4 pelican crossings plus one traffic light.

Muswell Hill Peleton certainty think they are riding IN the Park.
In fact they publicly state this....

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Coincidence?

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

I've been lookin at segment times for some of the parks and shared routes around me.
I confess, I'm new to this. Is it possible these times have been logged by indoor cyclists?

I would really like to think that cyclists are not riding at 30+ mph on a route through a park which is really a footpath with a few NCN labels stuck on some posts. There's a blind bend and a low bridge to contend with on this particular route to.

There's a stretch of cycle path we regularly walk our dog along. That's been clocked considerably faster.

 

[tinywheels]

I've been lookin at segment times for some of the parks and shared routes around me.
I confess, I'm new to this. Is it possible these times have been logged by indoor cyclists?

I would really like to think that cyclists are not riding at 30+ mph on a route through a park which is really a footway with a view NCN labels stuck on some posts. There's a blind bend and a low bridge to contend with on this particular route to.

There's a stretch of cycle path we regularly walk our dog along. That's been clocked considerably faster.

it appears wanton and furious cycling is more of a thing than we realised.

 

[Alex321]

I've been lookin at segment times for some of the parks and shared routes around me.
I confess, I'm new to this. Is it possible these times have been logged by indoor cyclists?

No.

Virtual rides are treated as separate sectors, even if supposedly ridfen on the same roads.

I would really like to think that cyclists are not riding at 30+ mph on a route through a park which is really a footway with a view NCN labels stuck on some posts. There's a blind bend and a low bridge to contend with on this particular route to.

Quite a lot of the segments I ride, I look at the KOM and wonder how anybody could actually ride that fats.

At least some of them have been where the GPS computer has actually been in/on a car (either because they forgot to turn it off, or just done deliberately to wind people up.

There's a stretch of cycle path we regularly walk our dog along. That's been clocked considerably faster.

That is less likely to be a car. But could have been done at a time with no people on it.

 

[Jenkins]

Looks like the Government may be bringing in a change to the law to introduce an offence of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless cycling with a maximum possible term of 14 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-69016715

 

[Time Waster]

What's the max possible term for the equivalent for motorists? Is it similar, higher or lower?

 

[classic33]

Fourteen years to life.

 

[mjr]

Looks like the Government may be bringing in a change to the law to introduce an offence of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless cycling with a maximum possible term of 14 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-69016715

So would that replace charging cyclists with GBH and manslaughter? What are the sentences for GBH and manslaughter?

 

[Ajax Bay]

So would [an offence of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless cycling with a maximum possible term of 14 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-69016715 ] replace charging cyclists with GBH and manslaughter? What are the sentences for GBH and manslaughter?

I doubt it: these remain alternative options just as they are for motorists now. I think mens rea would have to be proved which would be very difficult if the weapon used was a bicycle (IANAL) whereas deliberate (mens rea) driving a heavy vehicle to injure someone is sadly a regular event.
Since you raise those two offences @mjr , share with us how many have, as a result of death caused in the course of cycling, been (a) charged and (b) convicted. No, didn't think so.
The amendment proposed seems a straightforward way to recognise this particular unacceptable conduct which has had a tragic effect, and the fatal incident in Regent's Park in the news (several years after the victim's death) has been the catalyst to a course of action long advocated.
I recommend skim reading the article (<1 minute) - thank you for sharing @Jenkins
Its passage into law should have both a deterrent effect and also address an objective perception of 'unfairness' that cyclists and our ilk suffer.
Its scope would also include riders of electric (deregulated/motor) bikes, e-scooters and e-bikes where the applicability of suitable law is weak.
The Government is backing this amdt: Harper said "Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and considerate. But it's only right that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full weight of the law for doing so." Apart from the cliche of "full weight" can anyone demur?

 

[Alex321]

So would that replace charging cyclists with GBH and manslaughter? What are the sentences for GBH and manslaughter?

The two equivalent offences were brought in for motor vehicles precisely because manslaughter was virtually never being charged.

I must admit, I have always been a bit dubious about those (and for the same reason the proposed new cycling ones) - UK offences are usually based on what you do, not the results - though sentencing will reflect the results.

Dangerous driving is an offence, whikle with causing death by dangerous driving, you are doing the same thing, it just happened to result in death.

I also question, in the case of the new cycling offences, whether it is worth legislating for something that happens a handful of times a year. But at the same time, there is n o good reason why this law should be any different for cyclists than for motorists.

 

[Alex321]

Its passage into law should have both a deterrent effect and also address an objective perception of 'unfairness' that cyclists and our ilk suffer.
Its scope would also include riders of electric (deregulated/motor) bikes, e-scooters and e-bikes where the applicability of suitable law is weak.
The Government is backing this amdt: Harper said "Most cyclists, like most drivers, are responsible and considerate. But it's only right that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full weight of the law for doing so." Apart from the cliche of "full weight" can anyone demur?

I doubt it will have the slightest deterrent effect, since the offences of dangerous cycling and careless or inconsiderate cycling already exist.