A tad one sided…
It was reported today that the driver who hit and killed a cyclist (who died from head injuries) while she was texting in her car has been jailed for 4 years and banned from driving for 5.
Now, while I agree that the use of mobile phones while driving is incredibly stupid and also was I thought illegal (not that that seems to deter people), there were a few points about the situation that meant that I found the whole outcome a little uneven. Additionally the fact that she was going 15 miles over the speed limit is something that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The victim’s family said the following:
“We are pleased with the outcome of this trial and hope Jordan’s death will prevent or deter others from using their mobile phones whilst driving.”
Fine, I can understand that loosing one’s brother in this senseless way is a tragedy and easily preventable.
However I’ll draw your attention to two things about the cyclist as reported in the article
- He went through a red light and was subsequently hit by the car
- He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
This kind of makes me choke when I read his family say (my italics):
“He was a bright, intelligent and beautiful person who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.”
Since when is not obeying the Highway Code intelligent, or for that matter not wearing a cycle helmet, which might have saved his life.
It seems to me that the blame for this accident should be apportioned appropriately (yes I do believe that the majority of it lies at the feet of the driver) or at the very least a statement to the effect of asking cyclists to also obey the rules of the road and take required safety precautions should have been made by the family/police.
My own mother has been knocked down on at least two separate occasions (at the same crossing) by cyclists who feel that the red light for traffic at a pedestrian crossing doesn’t apply to them, and on the last occasion had the nerve to use some extremely strong language addressing my mother as she picked herself up.