Crash investigation

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dobbo800
Posts: 39
Joined: 29 Sep 2016, 12:23pm

Crash investigation

Post by dobbo800 »

Interesting and sad BBC report about an investigation into a collision between a car and a motorcycle in south Wales which led to the pillion passenger's death.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43788658

Driver tried to wriggle out of it, by lying, but CCTV and a determined copper nabbed him.

I find this a common situation when riding either my bicycle or my motorcycle - driver not paying attention and/or only looking for a car/van/lorry 'shape' before pulling out. This particular driver, of course, didn't seem to give a damn about looking at all.

Cheers
brooksby
Posts: 495
Joined: 21 Aug 2014, 9:02am
Location: Bristol

Re: Crash investigation

Post by brooksby »

Terrible incident: I'm glad that the driver was prosecuted for 'dangerous' and not just 'careless', and that he was actually found guilty.

(However, compare and contrast the reconstruction efforts here with that reconstruction of stopping distances used during the Alliston trial...)
dobbo800
Posts: 39
Joined: 29 Sep 2016, 12:23pm

Re: Crash investigation

Post by dobbo800 »

brooksby wrote:Terrible incident: I'm glad that the driver was prosecuted for 'dangerous' and not just 'careless', and that he was actually found guilty.

(However, compare and contrast the reconstruction efforts here with that reconstruction of stopping distances used during the Alliston trial...)


Yes, it seems the investigating copper here was determined to get to the real facts through proper and thorough investigation, so good on him. So many road incidents, including those involving deaths, are not investigated properly and little or no effort is made to 'learn from the problem' and to put things right (road design etc). Can you imagine this blasé attitude happening in the aircraft industry or even on a building site? HSE would be all over them like a rash. Deaths and injuries caused by drivers are so commonplace they've become normalised. Death by bicycle is another matter entirely, of course. Perfect 'dog bites man' fodder for the Daily Mail. Where I live, in south Wales, a local guy runs a Daily-Mail-lite 'news' page which is horribly anti-cycling and turns very small issues into very big ones, just to stir up bad blood locally. Nasty piece of work, it is.

Best
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Crash investigation

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Does the paper still publish letters from readers? I had many published in my local papers years ago (it was easy, they do not get so many as the Grauniad)
Used short texts with humour or feigned naivete, you could try that

I still have a letter from someone else..

Dear Madam
A unique sighting, a vehicle was seen travelling through Goginan today below th maximum speed limit
Yours ever..

I really think, the cops know what the problems are, they should get out there and enforce the law, get the likes of the volvo driver disqualified instead of concentrating on investigating after 'accidents', prevent them!
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
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The utility cyclist
Posts: 3607
Joined: 22 Aug 2016, 12:28pm
Location: The first garden city

Re: Crash investigation

Post by The utility cyclist »

Why did the police bother to push for a prosecution, I mean the motorcyclists were wearing black and that was a huge part of the reason why the MET did not decide to take matters forward, sorry more accurately blame Michael Mason for his death and absolve his killer :twisted:

The double standards of investigation/policing when it comes to finding out how a cyclist has died and ultimately protecting people on bicycles is not just disgusting it's unlawful.

4 years for a life is still mickey poor, he recklessly and by the judges own words dangerously drove into the path of another road user and killed them.
Well done to the police on this occasion but why aren't cycling deaths/SI investigated in a similar manner or have the same rules applied?
dobbo800
Posts: 39
Joined: 29 Sep 2016, 12:23pm

Re: Crash investigation

Post by dobbo800 »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Does the paper still publish letters from readers? I had many published in my local papers years ago (it was easy, they do not get so many as the Grauniad)
Used short texts with humour or feigned naivete, you could try that

I still have a letter from someone else..

Dear Madam
A unique sighting, a vehicle was seen travelling through Goginan today below th maximum speed limit
Yours ever..

I really think, the cops know what the problems are, they should get out there and enforce the law, get the likes of the volvo driver disqualified instead of concentrating on investigating after 'accidents', prevent them!


It's not a formal newspaper but rather a private individual pulling together local news stories. He's retired and clearly spends most of his time doing it. Problem is, he has a lot of pet hates and this comes through in his writing. For example, he despises Labour and is unable (unwilling) to write anything good about them. The Conservatives, however, can do no wrong. Bicycles are the work of the devil and he goes out of his way to find someone on a bike doing something he doesn't like (Look! A bike on the pavement!). Cue much frothing and stirring up his readership. From their below-the-line-reaction you'd think there were hordes of killer bicycles rampaging through our town. The reality is there are very few bikes being ridden. During my commute I hardly see anyone else riding until I get closer to Cardiff, about 5 miles away. Same when I'm walking. Like most places in the UK, the town is very car-centric.

I've tried sending in spoof comments but his readership always fail to spot the irony. It's quite amusing, really.

I think we've gone past the point where coppers can enforce the law in respect of the roads. I haven't seen a proper traffic cop in years. They've been cut back to the bone and their priorities are elsewhere. I'm with you on this one, but, sadly, this is the reality.

Cheers
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