Careless driving, use of phone and killing child - £195 fine
Discussion
Plus five points.
http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/latest-news/ty...
I know the woman has been sentenced. But, holy moly, that doesn't seem to be a lot for contributing to the death of a child.
Yes, the child shouldn't have been in the road. However, it seems like the driver wasn't paying attention to the road ahead.
http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/latest-news/ty...
I know the woman has been sentenced. But, holy moly, that doesn't seem to be a lot for contributing to the death of a child.
Yes, the child shouldn't have been in the road. However, it seems like the driver wasn't paying attention to the road ahead.
What do you think is a suitable punishment? The taxi driver stated that the boy ran out into the road in front of the car, and the PO worker said that the boy often crossed the road incompetently.
Yes, the driver was committing a minor offence at the time of the crash, but the vast majority of the blame has to lay with the boy. Obviously the woman has no regard for anti mobile phone laws, but the punishment given is over and above a standard 3 point offence.
I know this sounds harsh but some of the comments under the article are ridiculous.
Yes, the driver was committing a minor offence at the time of the crash, but the vast majority of the blame has to lay with the boy. Obviously the woman has no regard for anti mobile phone laws, but the punishment given is over and above a standard 3 point offence.
I know this sounds harsh but some of the comments under the article are ridiculous.
Seems strange that the driver ahead correctly spotted a lone 7 year old loitering by the road, and the one following didn't. If you take the article at face value, then at the time, she was effectively on speakerphone, which should not have prevented her seeing the kid. My suspicion is that the phone might not have been in the door pocket at the moment of impact....but it was on speaker and they can't prove either way.
People do not all have the same awareness of what is around them nor the same level of fore thought.
She may well not have seen then regardless of being on a call or not, just look around when you are out, drivers can't reverse, can't park, can't judge widths, the standard of driving by many is verging on dangerous as they are simply complacent about driving.
Most drivers if you handed them a loaded gun would treat it with caution, but they effectively switch off their brain in a car.
Cars and guns both made of metal and both kill people when handled by an incompetent.
She may well not have seen then regardless of being on a call or not, just look around when you are out, drivers can't reverse, can't park, can't judge widths, the standard of driving by many is verging on dangerous as they are simply complacent about driving.
Most drivers if you handed them a loaded gun would treat it with caution, but they effectively switch off their brain in a car.
Cars and guns both made of metal and both kill people when handled by an incompetent.
Driver prosecuted for careless driving (rather than causing death by careless driving). Fined. Licence endorsed with 5 penalty points.
Subsequent inquest finds on a balance of probabilities that the use of a mobile phone was a cause of the accident.
Would a jury have been sure that the use of a phone was "a cause?"
Subsequent inquest finds on a balance of probabilities that the use of a mobile phone was a cause of the accident.
Would a jury have been sure that the use of a phone was "a cause?"
gruffalo said:
Most drivers if you handed them a loaded gun would treat it with caution, but they effectively switch off their brain in a car.
Cars and guns both made of metal and both kill people when handled by an incompetent.
Indeed. And both kill people that run in front of them during their use, with no thought for their own safety.Cars and guns both made of metal and both kill people when handled by an incompetent.
There's a petition floating around somewhere on the gov.uk site asking for a mandatory ban for being caught for hand-held phone use. I think it's the only way forward. I commute by (motor)bike and every single day I see people wandering all over the place, and invariably when you pass them they're staring down at the phone in their lap. I saw a tipper lorry on the M20 last week, he was weaving from lane 1, onto the shelf, back into lane 2, for about a mile or more. When I managed to get past him, he was steering with both forearms, using both thumbs on his phone.
Using the phone needs to go the same was as drink-driving. 50 (?) years or so back, loads of people drank and drove and probably expected a mild tut from the constable if caught. Now, everyone knows it's a no-no. Doesn't stop the minority, sure, but does stop the rest.
Using the phone needs to go the same was as drink-driving. 50 (?) years or so back, loads of people drank and drove and probably expected a mild tut from the constable if caught. Now, everyone knows it's a no-no. Doesn't stop the minority, sure, but does stop the rest.
I think its an anomaly that hands free phone use is allowed. There is no doubt in my mind that you just cannot properly concentrate on driving whilst trying to carry out a phone conversation.
This driver had made several calls during her journey; her mind was everywhere other than on the road, if she'd been paying proper attention then that little boy might have had a chance.
In my view sentencing should have an element of re-education to teach people that driving is an activity that you have to devote your whole attention to.
This driver had made several calls during her journey; her mind was everywhere other than on the road, if she'd been paying proper attention then that little boy might have had a chance.
In my view sentencing should have an element of re-education to teach people that driving is an activity that you have to devote your whole attention to.
There are many things allowed in a car more distracting than having a conversation on a hands-free phone. Carrying children for example.
Station Road in Tydd carries quite a lot of traffic and only has a pavement on one side. I wouldn't let a 7 year old, competent or not, walk unsupervised along it never mind cross it.
As for driving standards, they are often way below what would be acceptable with or without phone use. I get called out a couple of times a year to examine buildings that have vehicles in them, drivers never get prosecuted for even Careless Driving, and you'd think sticking your BMW into a building was at least careless if not dangerous...
Station Road in Tydd carries quite a lot of traffic and only has a pavement on one side. I wouldn't let a 7 year old, competent or not, walk unsupervised along it never mind cross it.
As for driving standards, they are often way below what would be acceptable with or without phone use. I get called out a couple of times a year to examine buildings that have vehicles in them, drivers never get prosecuted for even Careless Driving, and you'd think sticking your BMW into a building was at least careless if not dangerous...
Disastrous said:
BrumBrumDuffy said:
driving is an activity that you have to devote your whole attention to.
No it isn't!So, what percentage do you think it deserves?
One thing that bothers me is that people seem to see driving as a right, not the privilege that it is.
You see far too many downright f
king awful drivers on the roads and imagine how epic a shag the examiner had the night before to let them through.longshot said:
Disastrous said:
BrumBrumDuffy said:
driving is an activity that you have to devote your whole attention to.
No it isn't!So, what percentage do you think it deserves?
As such, the level of concentration I give to driving is constantly changing, as I would imagine it is with most people. Sitting in traffic in the city, in all honesty it's probably about 30% but if a situation develops that requires more resources then of course it can go up to 100%. Hence tailing off mid-sentence whilst speaking to a passenger (for example) because the taxi in front just changed lanes without warning and caused someone else to swerve or whatever.
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