Drivers who kill

That is precisely my point Imp. Sometimes threads like this can appear like that and I just wanted to make it clear that this was something neither of us was dealing in before it was suggested.

'Competitive grief stakes' - absolutely not - shudder at the thought! I was just making an illustrative point. Sometimes we can be so used to our own stories that we forget the impact they may have.

Yes, there are many reasons for the scope of the law to be changed.

Imp, to lose a child is bad enough, to know that the cause was reckless selfish driving must be so much worse and that the perpetrator got off scot free, is even worse. I think I should return .

But neither of us is in the competitive grief stakes. What is needed is firm measures that ensure that those who flagrantly disobey the rules of the road and cause the death of another, should be made to pay a penalty on a par with those meted out on employers whose deliberate disregard for health and safety causes the death of others.

I would include in this cyclists, as in the recent well publicised case. News reports around his case, enumerated many other cases where pedestrians were killed by reckless cycling, including other cases where cyclists had bikes without street legal braking systems.

Imp Monica* Maggie I understand all of this ..

imp

M0nica, thank you for sharing what happened to your sister. How sad for you and all your family.

Yes, sometimes accidents do just happen and there is no 'fault' on the part of the driver involved.

I would hope that any new legislation should be fair in this regard.

When DD2 died there was an accident investigation and forensics involved. In the absence of any cctv footage (cameras had been turned off due to road works in the area) the police were able to calculate vehicle speeds and show that the children's father had had to take evasive action. It was hard to go through all the intricacies of this at the inquest, but harder still to believe that the other driver would have been completely unaware.

I think the rule of thumb over harsher penalties has to be centred around the degree to which the driver can be proven to have acted with wanton disregard to others' safety. To me, any use of a mobile phone whilst still driving is wanton disregard because of what could and sometimes sadly does happen.

My sister was killed when knocked off her bike. Our family felt deeply sorry for the driver. He was on a back street in Central London turning right out of a T junction into a road tree lined (in leaf) with cars parked nose to tail. He was driving at barely walking speed. The bike was completely hidden from him - and the lorry was probably hidden from her also by the trees and parked cars. He clipped one wheel and unfortunately when she fell DS's head hit the curb. She was not wearing a safety helmet.

After the accident, he stopped, stayed with her until the ambulance arrived, took her details and which hospital she was being sent to and then went straight back and reported the accident to his employers. At the inquest he was in tears.

None of my family would have wanted to see him prosecuted, still less imprisoned. We have always been agreed that the only thing that could have avoided the accident was the removal of cars and trees so that each could see the other.

We must remember that not every fatal road accident is the result of bad or reckless driving, some times, as with my sister it is the road conditions that affect both victim and perpetrator and in some cases it is the victim that cases the accident. I know a boy who was catastrophically disabled when playing 'chicken' with friends on a busy road.

Meant to say I am so sorry to read about your niece Maggie - so very sad.

whitewave - no worries here - posts meander.

Maggiemaybe I think that unless you have suffered a traumatic loss, you probably don't think about the implications and the 'ripple' effect on the family. It is just beyond a lot of people's comprehension.

I posted on a GN thread about speed limits a couple of years back. Specifically about how my friend’s family was devastated when her 2 year old niece was killed on a pavement by a speeding driver who lost control. It was an eye opener to me to see posters on that thread who saw speeding as a bit of fun and me and other rulebook Ronnies as boring old spoilsports.

I'm not a driver, but even hands free has always seemed to be a huge distraction to me.

With all the technology available, it should be possible to prevent a mobile device being used while a vehicle is moving.
Of course, people who "answer their mobiles with a handsfree" would be up in arms.

bags I entirely agree. It was crass and thoughtless of me in my throwaway remark. Unfortunately I simply read the headline and not the post content. I am sorry if I have caused hurt.

Lots of things on the road (and life) are bloody irritating. This thread is about people who break the law while driving and cause devastation to others as a result.

imp and other grans who have suffered an appalling loss,
Kindest thoughts.

True bags bloody irritating though.

This change in sentencing law is long overdue. I am very pleased that this has been introduced. Cars can be lethal weapons and treating those who use them as such more leniently than someone irresponsibly weilding a gun was always a huge anomaly.

Sorry for your loss Imp - both the loss itself and the ensuing injustice - very hard to live with.

But he had stopped, which is the important part.

Yesterday we were following a white van along a country lane when he stopped. We sat waiting patiently for what seemed ages and then inched past him bit by bit - yes you’ve guessed he was on the phone.

Yes Imperfect, we do all remember the moment our lives changed for ever after a tragedy. Life goes on of course and we manage to live and love but such a huge loss is part of us.
I don't see how those who kill because of reckless/drunken/drugged etc driving should receive lighter punishment than others.

Lets hope they follow this through! I think we could all stand at the side of the road and capture many using mobiles negotiating roundabouts and changing gear at the same time...I do often wonder why there isn't something implemented that the general public can take a photo of someone using their mobile (registration etc) and report it.
It can soon be traced to the mobile phone user and checked...but I suppose this would "take too much time" up for the police.

Anya - last time I did that I received the usual two finger salute!

I’d like to start a ‘Honk for a Plonker’ campaign, where everyone who saw a driver on a mobile honked their horn good and loud.

Feeling hugged. Thank you

Yes Anya - sadly, many of us 'walking wounded' out there.
(((((((hugs))))))) right back at yer.