Cyclist on illegal bike who killed a pedestrian on manslaughter charged 'blamed victim'

[BBassic]

Just carry a javelin at all times, and as they come past aim through the wheels. You should get it though one wheel, even from a distance away. Be doing us all, cyclists and non-cyclists, a favour.

The crazy thing in that situation is that I'd be the one who gets nicked! The world's gone mad I tell ya!

 

[LU7 RED]

I used to cycle from Victoria to Fitzrovia every day and, for interest, I kept a tally of bikes that jumped red lights. I counted them up over a three month period so I had a decent record. Consistently, the stats were the same: between 18 and 22 percent of cyclists rode through red lights every week. It's not a scientific survey, as it was the same route all the time, but it's an interesting insight.

One thing that did stand out, however; in that three month period I only saw one woman jump the lights, it seems to be very much a male trait.

Apparently they reckon that's why more women cyclists die on the roads in London than men - because they aren't aggressive enough at junctions etc and truck drivers can't see them... Can't win can ya!

Thing is - the cycling on pavements, jumping red lights etc isn't great and shouldn't be done - but it's just a nuisance in 99.9% of cases. It's just the amount of media that these actions receive as compared to the amount regarding bad driving habits winds me up a bit. There needs to be a bit more perspective sometimes.

 

[SAC]

I cycle to work daily in London and perhaps see maybe 20-30 people a day jump red lights. It does happen and it happens a lot, but I also see taxis, lorries, white vans etc etc all jump red lights daily too. It's a problem with being an entitled c***, not a cyclist.

Indeed. In fact, I find pedestrians to be the worst offenders. I have no problems with the crossing on a red if there is no one coming but so many of them walk across on red and just stare at you if you try to get across the lights.

 

[SAC]

I counted all the cyclists on the road and worked out a percentage from those that went through it? It wasn't really a difficult sum to do every day. I had a tally in the office that I updated daily.

You must be great fun at parties. Do you also record what MPG you get each day?

 

[DTES]

I counted all the cyclists on the road and worked out a percentage from those that went through it? It wasn't really a difficult sum to do every day. I had a tally in the office that I updated daily.

Genuine question, not that I'm defending either: do you distinguish between cyclists that stop at red lights, have a good look, and then trundle though it having deciding it's safe because there are no pedestrians crossing - and those that just ignore them and fly through?

 

[Stat Brother]

I counted all the cyclists on the road and worked out a percentage from those that went through it? It wasn't really a difficult sum to do every day. I had a tally in the office that I updated daily.

Sorry if I'm sounding thicker than usual here, I'm just struggling on how you came to such a precise figure, esp one that seems quite high. (not that I'm saying no cyclists jump red lights, I'm not that much of a thicko)

As you were riding along you were also counting all the riders in front, beside and behind you, then at every junction you counted those that went through a red?

 

[beorhthelm]

Genuine question, not that I'm defending either: do you distinguish between cyclists that stop at red lights, have a good look, and then trundle though it having deciding it's safe because there are no pedestrians crossing - and those that just ignore them and fly through?

whats the difference, is one allowed?

i think the point being made is that a substantial minority of cyclist will run red lights. far higher than the "once in years" someone claimed.

 

[DTES]

whats the difference, is one allowed?

Neither allowed; both fair game for criticism; one significantly even more dangerous than the other - flying through a zebra crossing without caring if anybody is crossing is clearly far more dangerous than trundling over it when you are sure there is nobody crossing.

 

[Gwylan]

Genuine question, not that I'm defending either: do you distinguish between cyclists that stop at red lights, have a good look, and then trundle though it having deciding it's safe because there are no pedestrians crossing - and those that just ignore them and fly through?

They still went through a red light, safe or not. They were marked down.

As you were riding along you were also counting all the riders in front, beside and behind you, then at every junction you counted those that went through a red?

Yes to both questions (and I tried not to count people twice). I was cycling on a Boris bike, which aren't exactly speedy and at nearly 60, I'm not as fast as I used to be so pretty much everybody was overtaking me (and also meant that they were well ahead of the next light).

As I said, it's not scientific, there may be the odd person who got counted twice, skewing the figures but the sums every week were amazingly consistent.

I only did it for three months, I thought that was enough for some sort of guide - I'm not that much of a nerd

 

[DTES]

They still went through a red light, safe or not. They were marked down.

Fair enough. As I say, not defending either, but as above there is a big difference in how dangerous the actions are. It would be interesting to see how they split (if you had those stats too).

 

[brightn'ove]

They still went through a red light, safe or not. They were marked down.



Yes to both questions (and I tried not to count people twice). I was cycling on a Boris bike, which aren't exactly speedy and at nearly 60, I'm not as fast as I used to be so pretty much everybody was overtaking me (and also meant that they were well ahead of the next light).

As I said, it's not scientific, there may be the odd person who got counted twice, skewing the figures but the sums every week were amazingly consistent.

I only did it for three months, I thought that was enough for some sort of guide - I'm not that much of a nerd

Were you riding with a paper and pen?

That's pretty dangerous, you know.

 

[Gwylan]

Were you riding with a paper and pen?

That's pretty dangerous, you know.

No, kept scores in my head - there were only two figures to keep so it wasn't that difficult.

I only mentioned this as an interesting aside, I didn't expect some sort of Spanish Inquisition

 

[Stat Brother]

Yes to both questions (and I tried not to count people twice). I was cycling on a Boris bike, which aren't exactly speedy and at nearly 60, I'm not as fast as I used to be so pretty much everybody was overtaking me (and also meant that they were well ahead of the next light).

As I said, it's not scientific, there may be the odd person who got counted twice, skewing the figures but the sums every week were amazingly consistent.

I only did it for three months, I thought that was enough for some sort of guide - I'm not that much of a nerd

For something not scientific you've ended up with a very precise figure and gender biased.

 

[brightn'ove]

I didn't expect some sort of Spanish Inquisition

 

[OzMike]

I think he will be found innocent, Accidents are just that , there is not always someone to blame. they happen but they seem to want to make an example of him, is it because of his comment in the days following?

I wouldn't be so sure, what about his duty of care, if the bike was not road worthy and he was aware of this, why was he on the road with it.
I'd throw the book and set a precedent.

 

[Albumen]

They still went through a red light, safe or not. They were marked down.



Yes to both questions (and I tried not to count people twice). I was cycling on a Boris bike, which aren't exactly speedy and at nearly 60, I'm not as fast as I used to be so pretty much everybody was overtaking me (and also meant that they were well ahead of the next light).

As I said, it's not scientific, there may be the odd person who got counted twice, skewing the figures but the sums every week were amazingly consistent.

I only did it for three months, I thought that was enough for some sort of guide - I'm not that much of a nerd

So at every lights you stopped, looked in front of you and behind you counting all the cyclists, rather than looking at the lights? Are you sure the lights hadn't changed and cyclists were going through green while you were busy standing there counting? Surely it's fairly busy at London traffic light junctions?
You don't sound very safe to be around.

 

[OzMike]

I think that all cyclists posting on here should take their helmets off and see that this could have been preventable had the cyclist been keeping to the highway code rules.
There is no excuse and trying to blame the pedestrian............................

 

[Gwylan]

For something not scientific you've ended up with a very precise figure and gender biased.

I don't get this. If there are, say, 44 cyclists on the road and eight go through red lights, then that's about 18 percent (and those are roughly the sort of figures I had every day). I don't see how that's a 'precise figure' - particularly as I said that it varied between 18 and 22 percent. If it were a precise figure it would be 19 percent every week.

And I didn't keep records of gender because they were all men (the one female appeared towards the end of the three month period, she stuck out like a sore thumb).

 

[Albumen]

I think that all cyclists posting on here should take their helmets off and see that this could have been preventable had the cyclist been keeping to the highway code rules.
There is no excuse and trying to blame the pedestrian............................

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35

Works both ways. Say IF she was on her mobile phone, she wasn't adhering to the highway code. Even if she didn't look properly she has to have some (and I'd rather not use the word) blame for the accident. Just playing devils advocate as none of us were there.

 

[rippleman]

No it's because he was riding an illegal bike.

Would someone knowingly driving a car with no brakes, killing someone, have it deemed to be an accident, or manslaughter.

I hope they throw the book at this idiot, irrespective of his me, me, me snowflake ramblings on Twitter.

But it is only a matter of time before one of the increasing number of twats that ride LEGAL bikes ILLEGALLY on the pavement do some damage. When that happens, it will be the fault of the OB who currently refuse to enforce the law and penalise the idiots that are riding dangerously on the pavements.

Make all cyclists carry PLI. And if they don't, confiscate their bikes. How difficult can it be?