Suspended sentence for driver as cyclist left unable to speak or walk

[jefmcg]

Make the punishment severe and I bet the number of times cars drive off without their lights on drops.

Really? Do you think anyone deliberately drives off without their lights on? I'm sure it's an accident every time, they always are grateful and responsive when told. I do not believe jailing them would change anything.

(I was once pulled over by the police for having no lights on. This was due to an electrical fault, and not oversight, but the streets were too brightly lit for me to notice and and the dashboard was lit - probably, or I just hadn't looked at it. Interestingly the cop was not interested in the lights as an offence but more interested in breathalysing me as apparently drunks often forget to turn on their lights, and she still breath tested me after I had shown her that the lights were faulty. She didn't charge me with any offences)

 

[I like Skol]

Yes, his lights should have been on, but one should take a good shoulder check before moving across several lanes of traffic on a 100kph road. If she had, she would have seen him.

....Garda Murphy said. “It would have been completely safe for her to make the turn if there had not been oncoming traffic,” he added.


I'm quite sure from the report that they met head on and the driver did not approach her from behind?

 

[jefmcg]

....Garda Murphy said. “It would have been completely safe for her to make the turn if there had not been oncoming traffic,” he added.


I'm quite sure from the report that they met head on and the driver did not approach her from behind?

You're right. I don't know why they mentioned she was in the left hand lane.

OK, even more so then, if he was coming towards her. I've often signalled drivers coming towards me, both in a car and on the bike, that they didn't have headlights on. They are always extremely visible.

 

[Profpointy]

Really? Do you think anyone deliberately drives off without their lights on? I'm sure it's an accident every time, they always are grateful and responsive when told. I do not believe jailing them would change anything.

(I was once pulled over by the police for having no lights on. This was due to an electrical fault, and not oversight, but the streets were too brightly lit for me to notice and and the dashboard was lit - probably, or I just hadn't looked at it. Interestingly the cop was not interested in the lights as an offence but more interested in breathalysing me as apparently drunks often forget to turn on their lights, and she still breath tested me after I had shown her that the lights were faulty. She didn't charge me with any offences)

Well if some on here had their way you'd be banned for life and imprisonned

 

[Markymark]

Really? Do you think anyone deliberately drives off without their lights on? I'm sure it's an accident every time, they always are grateful and responsive when told.

No, I don't. But I do believe that because driving is not seen as serious with consequences and punishment that people are careless so make mistakes happen more often.

I make silly mistakes like leaving my water in the kitchen when going to the shed. I don't make serious mistakes like leaving my new mitre saw unattended at home when there's kids around. Why is that? Because I recognise the seriousness of the potential outcomes. When things have dire consequences, I take extra precaution. As do most people.

But because driving doesn't seem to have this anymore, it's fallen into the mishaps category and mistakes such as the op become regular. However, this results in serious injury and death daily.

If there was proper punishment I bet people would be a bit more careful not to drive off without their lights on and take a bit more care when pulling out at a junction.

 

[I like Skol]

You're right. I don't know why they mentioned she was in the left hand lane.

I took that comment to mean she had been riding on the far left of the highway before turning right, which if cyclist33's google view of the junction is correct, means she crossed multiple lanes to perform the right turn. The puzzle with that though is that it would give the driver more time to react, but that depends on his approaching speed and the speed and suddeness of the cyclist when making the turn.
A lot of questions that I am sure the police and court considered before making a ruling in this tragic case. I think we can all agree that there were no winners here!

 

[Origamist]

Well if some on here had their way you'd be banned for life and imprisonned

I can understand why an immediate custodial sentence was deemed inappropriate in this case, but I'm struggling to grasp why there was no driving ban (hardship aside).

 

[Profpointy]

I can understand why a custodial sentence was not deemed appropriate in this case, but I'm struggling to grasp why there was no driving ban (hardship aside).

For not putting on your lights in a built up area, inference being a streetlit area ?

Personally I am not all that convinced that the light issue was particularly related to the collision, tragic though the outcome was.


I witnessed a road accident where an unlit car pulling out out from a parking space was blamed for a collision. My view is t was that the car that ran into it (and us) was 90%+ to blame as he was going far too quickly and not looking where TF he was going, the puller-out having a plenty big enough gap if the other car had been driven sensibly. I gather the unlit car's insurance picked up the entire bill because he'd not put his lights on - it was a well lit suburban street.

 

[Origamist]

For not putting on your lights in a built up area, inference being a streetlit area ?

Personally I am not all that convinced that the light issue was particularly related to the collision, tragic though the outcome was.


I witnessed a road accident where an unlit car pulling out out from a parking space or a was blamed for a collision. My view is that the car that ran into it (and us) was 90%+ to blame as he was going far too quickly and not looking where TF he was going, the puller-out having a plenty big enough gap of the other car had been driven sensibly. I gather the unlit car's insurance picked up the entire bill because he'd not put his lights on - it was a well lit suburban street.

Yes, I feel a ban is an appropriate additional punishment. It's worth remembering that the driver had 200 metres to recognise that his lights were not on - that's not a momentary lapse, but indicative of someone who is not paying attention to the road ahead for a longer period of time.

 

[Dismount]

Yes, I feel a ban is an appropriate additional punishment. It's worth remembering that the driver had 200 metres to recognise that his lights were not on - that's not a momentary lapse, but indicative of someone who is not paying attention to the road ahead for a longer period of time.

It is relative, I am not sure of the exact speed limit I think somebody quoted 60mph, a quick calculation, would take circa 6 seconds to travel 200 yards at that speed.

 

[Dismount]

Yes, I feel a ban is an appropriate additional punishment. It's worth remembering that the driver had 200 metres to recognise that his lights were not on - that's not a momentary lapse, but indicative of someone who is not paying attention to the road ahead for a longer period of time.

Ban is appropriate for forgetting to turn on lights, it is a slippery slope, should an outright ban also apply for, failing to signal, speeding, using the wrong lane, braking late, not maintaining a 2-second gap I could go on - each of these could lead to a serious incident!

 

[Origamist]

It is relative, I am not sure of the exact speed limit I think somebody quoted 60mph, a quick calculation, would take circa 6 seconds to travel 200 yards at that speed.

It would be closer to 8 seconds if he was driving at 60mph - but he would have to accelerate to that speed from a standing start, so it's going to be longer again. In any case, it is hardly 'momentary', there is time for a capable and observant driver to recognise their error. He tragically did not.

 

[Profpointy]

Ban is appropriate for forgetting to turn on lights, it is a slippery slope, should an outright ban also apply for, failing to signal, speeding, using the wrong lane, braking late, not maintaining a 2-second gap I could go on - each of these could lead to a serious incident!

Actually I'd be more keen on bannage for some of the above: tailgating, agression, moronic overtakes etc.

 

[Origamist]

Ban is appropriate for forgetting to turn on lights, it is a slippery slope, should an outright ban also apply for, failing to signal, speeding, using the wrong lane, braking late, not maintaining a 2-second gap I could go on - each of these could lead to a serious incident!

When those behaviours cause serious harm, as in this case - a driving ban and/or a custodial sentence should be imposed.

 

[Tin Pot]

If every road user had to guess or assume that every other approaching road user was going to turn in front of them we would not get anywhere at all.

I drive and ride assuming every other idiot on the road is trying to kill me, and will pull some outrageous manoeuvre at any point.

And sometimes his is exactly what they do.

Somehow I get to my destination in good time.

Perhaps you should start doing the same?