Cyclist ignores red light, gets hit, driver is prosecuted...

Cyclist ignores red light, gets hit, driver is prosecuted...

Author
Discussion

PurpleMoonlight

Original Poster:

22,362 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
... with driving without due care and attention.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4226984/Cy...


rolleyes

Ste1987

1,798 posts

105 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
The cyclist still got fined and realised his error, to be fair

chow pan toon

12,356 posts

236 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
PurpleMoonlight said:
... with driving without due care and attention.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4226984/Cy...


rolleyes
The driver admitted the offence so maybe you should be rolling your eyes at him.

I find it best to check whether any traffic is coming whenever I go across a junction regardless of traffic light colour. Avoids this type of unpleasantness.

kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
"Police gave me a ticket for running the traffic lights - this may be why I was hit, I don't know."


kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
chow pan toon said:
I find it best to check whether any traffic is coming whenever I go across a junction regardless of traffic light colour. Avoids this type of unpleasantness.
Totally agree with you on that, but I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights. It sounds as though Austin should have taken evasive action, but it doesn't mean that the cyclist shouldn't be more heavily punished.

When I am cycling myself, a lot of the bad treatment that I have received from drivers seems to stem from the fact that other cyclists are routinely misbehaving - it's not my fault but I still get blamed for it.

chow pan toon

12,356 posts

236 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
kingston12 said:
"Police gave me a ticket for running the traffic lights - this may be why I was hit, I don't know."
rofl Missed that. It's a good job he wasn't killed, the human race wouldn't want to lose that sort of mind .

kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
chow pan toon said:
rofl Missed that. It's a good job he wasn't killed, the human race wouldn't want to lose that sort of mind .
rofl

chow pan toon

12,356 posts

236 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
kingston12 said:
chow pan toon said:
I find it best to check whether any traffic is coming whenever I go across a junction regardless of traffic light colour. Avoids this type of unpleasantness.
Totally agree with you on that, but I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights. It sounds as though Austin should have taken evasive action, but it doesn't mean that the cyclist shouldn't be more heavily punished.

When I am cycling myself, a lot of the bad treatment that I have received from drivers seems to stem from the fact that other cyclists are routinely misbehaving - it's not my fault but I still get blamed for it.
I don't disagree but I doubt there is much in the way of punishment available for someone who may not have a driving licence to put points/bans on.

Boring_Chris

2,348 posts

121 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
chow pan toon said:
kingston12 said:
"Police gave me a ticket for running the traffic lights - this may be why I was hit, I don't know."
rofl Missed that. It's a good job he wasn't killed, the human race wouldn't want to lose that sort of mind .
He claims he had no recollection of events, probably due to the brain injury the article states he suffered.

He also pretty much admits that he was at fault.

But yeah, you sarcastically wish the bloke dead. Have at it.

kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all

chow pan toon said:
kingston12 said:
chow pan toon said:
I find it best to check whether any traffic is coming whenever I go across a junction regardless of traffic light colour. Avoids this type of unpleasantness.
Totally agree with you on that, but I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights. It sounds as though Austin should have taken evasive action, but it doesn't mean that the cyclist shouldn't be more heavily punished.

When I am cycling myself, a lot of the bad treatment that I have received from drivers seems to stem from the fact that other cyclists are routinely misbehaving - it's not my fault but I still get blamed for it.
I don't disagree but I doubt there is much in the way of punishment available for someone who may not have a driving licence to put points/bans on.
I'm personally in favour of cycling licences/insurance, but I know I am in a tiny majority on that one!

I think a £200 fine rather than a £30 might put the message across a bit more strongly. Better enforcement might help as well. He probably only got the £30 fine because he was hurt and they reviewed the cameras otherwise he'd have got away with it altogether.

The problem from my perspective is that it is just done too routinely. If a cyclist stopped at a red light, looked to make sure it was clear and then jumped it that is one thing, but the ones I normally see just sail through as if there was no red light there at all. This often happens after they pass me waiting at the light on my bike making it even more obvious.

RicharDC5

3,892 posts

126 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
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kingston12 said:
I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights.
The guy carelessly cycled through a red light and got hit by a car that almost killed him, and now suffers life changing injuries. I'm not sure how you could stress the importance on not running red lights any more than this!

FunkyNige

8,859 posts

274 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
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chow pan toon said:
The driver admitted the offence so maybe you should be rolling your eyes at him.

I find it best to check whether any traffic is coming whenever I go across a junction regardless of traffic light colour. Avoids this type of unpleasantness.
Isn't the going rate of a lost driving court case about £20k in fees these days? I certainly don't have that kind of money to gamble on whether the magistrate likes me or not so it's easy to see why people just take the punishment.

PurpleMoonlight

Original Poster:

22,362 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
FunkyNige said:
Isn't the going rate of a lost driving court case about £20k in fees these days? I certainly don't have that kind of money to gamble on whether the magistrate likes me or not so it's easy to see why people just take the punishment.
Isn't the punishment more severe if you lose too?

kingston12

5,473 posts

156 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
RicharDC5 said:
kingston12 said:
I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights.
The guy carelessly cycled through a red light and got hit by a car that almost killed him, and now suffers life changing injuries. I'm not sure how you could stress the importance any more than this!
True, but then the driver is given the more serious charge of the two which might be interpreted as the law saying that it is still the driver's overall responsibility to prevent a collision regardless of what the cyclist has done beforehand.

I am not saying that is necessarily wrong as everyone should be responsible for trying their utmost to prevent accidents, just that it might send out the wrong message to some cyclists.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
"The charity worker said he now suffers memory loss and cannot remember anything about the incident but says he is desperate to meet the millionaire Southampton FC striker to 'get some closure'."

Good that he wants to apologise.

Mandat

3,879 posts

237 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
Bobmoore will be along shortly to tell you all that the cyclist did nothing wrong, and that you are all victim blaming, if you dare to suggest that the cyclist could have helped themselves in someway to avoid the collision.

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
kingston12 said:
It sounds as though Austin should have taken evasive action,
Article suggests he started off from the lights when they turned green, so I guess he proceded when it wasn't safe to do so.

RicharDC5

3,892 posts

126 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
kingston12 said:
RicharDC5 said:
kingston12 said:
I still think that cases like this don't stress the importance of cyclists not jumping red lights.
The guy carelessly cycled through a red light and got hit by a car that almost killed him, and now suffers life changing injuries. I'm not sure how you could stress the importance any more than this!
True, but then the driver is given the more serious charge of the two which might be interpreted as the law saying that it is still the driver's overall responsibility to prevent a collision regardless of what the cyclist has done beforehand.

I am not saying that is necessarily wrong as everyone should be responsible for trying their utmost to prevent accidents, just that it might send out the wrong message to some cyclists.
Fair enough, but that is about the driver and the case against him. Just because he has been given the more serious charge (seemingly unfairly) doesn't mean that the rider should also get a large fine to compensate.

chow pan toon

12,356 posts

236 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
Boring_Chris said:
chow pan toon said:
kingston12 said:
"Police gave me a ticket for running the traffic lights - this may be why I was hit, I don't know."
rofl Missed that. It's a good job he wasn't killed, the human race wouldn't want to lose that sort of mind .
He claims he had no recollection of events, probably due to the brain injury the article states he suffered.

He also pretty much admits that he was at fault.

But yeah, you sarcastically wish the bloke dead. Have at it.
I wasn't sarcastically wishing anyone dead, sorry if it was that unclear to you.

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Wednesday 15th February 2017
quotequote all
If it reduces anyones blood pressure any.... I had 3 cyclists pull up one behind the other on my inside earlier (in the van and indicating left), as the lights changed I went forward, cyclist no1 blissfully cruised through my blind spot kill zone carefree as only a cyclist can be, but much to my amazement cyclist no2 was one of those rare beasts to sense unsighted conflicting paths and OMFG actually pause as the road split to allow my turn... only to be rammed up the arse by cyclist no3.