Scumbag Cyclist Gets £2,200 Fine For Killing Girl He Could Have Avoided

[steward 433]

So if we can have that 20% then we will have saved a further 300 lives. The problem with 60mph single carriageway figures is that it covers such a large part of the country.

300 lives is a good start but would like to see more cyle paths built to see safer distances between vehicles and cyclists

The 60mph limit will always be the problem

 

[Woodchip]

Sorry, but the majority of cyclists that I see have absolutely no regard for the highway code.

Drive, walk, cycle around any major town or city and the cnuts ride like f***ing morons.

Jumping lights, cycling on pavements to get through traffic, abusive.

I've witnessed countless accidents involving cyclists and the majority of them were down to the two wheeled, no brained twat with the hat.

....... and when they lean on my car to stop them falling over because they can't be arsed to take their f***ing feet out of their straps

and relax

You'll notice the ones break/bending the law more than you'll notice the law abiding ones because you want a reason to moan about cyclists. Probably the same (but vice versa) for me.

 

[Prettyboyshaw]

I cycle and drive and can honestly say that there are plenty of *ankers in each catergory. You have to have eyes up your arse to stop getting hit when you are on a bike because so many drivers don't think about any thing else apart from whats 2 feet in front of there nose.

But some cyclists are total pricks. The bike lanes on the sea front are prime examples. They are in a stupid place and a bit of consideration for pedestrians and cyclists should be used. Some cyclist bomb along there a don't even think about the fact that most people don't expect a cycle lane on the pavement and don't mean to get in the way.

There is a dyed blonde, long haired, 40 ish year old gimp that does his best to beat the world bike spead record and just shouts get the f*** out of the way when some unkowing holiday maker gets in his way. I hope cheese wire of placed in his path one day to relieve him of his brainless head.

 

[Meade's Ball]

The older i get, the more i want to tell people how they are doing things wrongly. On cycling each morning i want to chase the people that steam through red-lights and pile over zebra crossings believing they can squeeze through without harm or delay. But i know if i were fast enough to catch them then i'd tap them on the shoulder and mutter something unhearable, remembering i am actually yellow-bellied and lack the nerve to ever bravely strike out. Instead i seem to say things louder to small women on little bikes i crave will never catch and confront me and reveal they knife-carriers or hungry-weasel-pocketers or one-pinch-to-the-neck-Spock-sleep-enforcers.
Each day i just fume at the endless inconsideration by over half the cyclists one is supposed to share a path with.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

also from this thread there also seems to be an assumption that because there was a group of young people they were causing trouble.

She could easily have been my daughter - who has been known to stand on a pavement in a group - or even (heaven forbid) on a road.

The problem seems to be a complete lack of common sense and consideration for others. A lot of which is also shown in this thread.

 

[London Calling]

I hate to burst your anti-bike mentality, but have you considered that he was riding in a rough area and was concerned that if he stopped then maybe, just maybe, they'd have mugged his bike and given him a kicking. It's not that uncommon in some inner-city areas according to the cycling forums I go on.

As a pedestrian and cyclist I can admit that some (but very few) cyclists have a complete disregard for the highway code. The same highway code that is currently being blasted as "bias in favour of the motorist".

Oh, and the last part of the Beeb's report earlier in the day (which appears to have been removed to ensure the anti-cycling balance is maintained) said it was unsure if the cyclist was on the road or pavement.

I like the way the BBC interviewed an AA spokesman to talk about cycling?

What?

There are enough cycling reps to talk about cycling, let the experts speak for themselves, shoddy reporting.

 

[London Calling]

30mph limits only account for 20% of the fatalities in this country

It's the 60mph single carriageway roads that account for 55%

BTW nice pics of your elbow

As I said earlier reduce speeds from 40 to 20 mph that's the key incremental difference, I believe research has shown a drop of 70% in fatalities. And resulting increase in pedestrian activity and children playing in the streets again.

In Hull a reduction in speed limits to 20 mph showed a decline in casualties by 90%. And most of these in urban areas are kids.

Ultimately, this sad story is still a one off, I am aware of 5 cyclists killed by vehicles in Hackney alone this year. Lets get this in perspective.

LC

 

[Woodchip]

Second to last paragraph people...
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Rhiannon-Bennett-Teenager-Killed-By-Cyclist-Family-Hit-Out-As-Biker-Sentenced-With-A-Fine/Article/200807215029710?lid=ARTICLE_15029710_Rhiannon%20Bennett%20Teenager%20Killed%20By%20Cyclist:%20Family%20Hit%20Out%20As%20Biker%20Sentenced%20With%20A%20Fine&lpos=searchresults

 

[London Calling]

Second to last paragraph people...
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Rhiannon-Bennett-Teenager-Killed-By-Cyclist-Family-Hit-Out-As-Biker-Sentenced-With-A-Fine/Article/200807215029710?lid=ARTICLE_15029710_Rhiannon%20Bennett%20Teenager%20Killed%20By%20Cyclist:%20Family%20Hit%20Out%20As%20Biker%20Sentenced%20With%20A%20Fine&lpos=searchresults

So was it a prank gone wrong or an idiot cycling? To non-cyclists 17 mph is not fast but when a vehicle behind you is travelling at 40 mph and is expecting and relying on you to travel in a straight line, but if you unexpectedly swerve out, you are going over there bonnet.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Second to last paragraph people...

.................. he could simply have slowed down - and stopped. Would he have carried on if it was his daughter/sister/niece standing in the road (if she was).

On the BBC website it says there were in a cul-de-sac.


... oh ........... people.

 

[steward 433]

.................. he could simply have slowed down - and stopped. Would he have carried on if it was his daughter/sister/niece standing in the road (if she was).

On the BBC website it says there were in a cul-de-sac.


... oh ........... people.

Course not, the bloke just didn't give a f*** if he hit an innocent girl

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

To non-cyclists 17 mph is not fast

true - but having been on a mountain bike pedalling at 17 mph - that is bloomin quick - and totally reckless to be cycling next to a group of young people - let alone towards them.

 

[steward 433]

So was it a prank gone wrong or an idiot cycling? To non-cyclists 17 mph is not fast but when a vehicle behind you is travelling at 40 mph and is expecting and relying on you to travel in a straight line, but if you unexpectedly swerve out, you are going over there bonnet.

In a quiet cul-de-sac? IDIOT cyclist!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[British Bulldog]

.................. he could simply have slowed down - and stopped. Would he have carried on if it was his daughter/sister/niece standing in the road (if she was).

On the BBC website it says there were in a cul-de-sac.


... oh ........... people.

As far as the cyclist was concerned he shouted so that should of been enough to avoid a collision, Thats a bit like someone being in front of your car but as long as you toot your horn at them there's no need to brake or swerve.

 

[Simster]

true - but having been on a mountain bike pedalling at 17 mph - that is bloomin quick - and totally reckless to be cycling next to a group of young people - let alone towards them.

Maybe slightly - but he was on the ROAD according to that report.

Theoretically he might have slowed down as he became aware of people stepping carelessly onto the road, but in practice the onous should surely be on the pedestrian to stay on the pavement and get off the road.

 

[London Calling]

In a quiet cul-de-sac? IDIOT cyclist!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

In this case - I am not making excuses for the man.

 

[Simster]

In the end, none of us know the facts but too many people make assumptions and judgements based on red-top headlines and stupid soundbites.

I'd rather just trust an impartial and fully qualified judge who has listened to and seen all the facts presented to him.

 

[Woodchip]

LC, I'm with you in not making excuses (the bloke is obviously a bit dim) but there may be reasons he didn't slow/stop (like the mugging option). The bit I'm pissed off about is the usual lax journalism and anti-cycling trend that seems fashionable at the moment.

I presume there are a lot of motorists that are angry at cyclists as the cyclist is getting where they need to without lining Gordon Brown's pocket as much.

 

[sten_super]

Maybe slightly - but he was on the ROAD according to that report.

Theoretically he might have slowed down as he became aware of people stepping carelessly onto the road, but in practice the onous should surely be on the pedestrian to stay on the pavement and get off the road.

Of course the onus is on the pedestrian; but drivers of vehicles (by which I mean bikes, cars, vans, etc) have to be aware that people MAY NOT get out of the way. In which case, they have to be prepared to stop. This guy clearly wasn't. As Bulldog says, if someone was in front of your car, you wouldn't beep the horn and keep going, you would slow down and eventually stop and wait.

And frankly, to anyone saying maybe he didn't have time to break... if he didn't, that's his fault. Assuming that the kids were already in his way (i.e. didn't jump into his path, which it doesn't sound like they did), he should have spotted them early enough to brake. Again, using the car analogy, if the car in front of me slams the breaks on, and I slam them on but haven't left enough stopping distance, it's no-one but my fault if I then crash into them. It's the same with a stationary object. If I haven't seen it until it's too late, or can't break because I'm going too fast, it's because I'm driving unsuitably for the conditions.

 

[steward 433]

In this case - I am not making excuses for the man.

No i appreciate you aren't but it annoys me the fact he could have stopped or altered direction safely but probably thought he would just get close to scare her and probably misjudged it slightly! I know as i have done this myself

I when i go out on my bike obey all of the highway code as i don't want to go through a red light and end up splattered all over the road.

At the end of the day ALL ROAD USERS should obey red traffic lights etc which would help.

OK i speed but only when it is safe to but would never jump a red light etc