Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

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thelawnet
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by thelawnet »

horizon wrote:
thelawnet wrote:The story claims the 4-year-old was given free rein because the road was safe and pedestrianised.

'He was visiting Windsor and enjoying the privileges of a cycle-free zone, so his parents did not insist on holding his hand.

'You came cycling down that street at some speed, in breach of this pedestrianisation.

'In the CCTV footage, it is apparent you are unable to brake when Matteo runs into your path. You collided with him and he was trapped in the arch of your bicycle.


This does not appear to be the case

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.48257 ... 312!8i6656

I wonder if a loading vehicle had killed the boy who had run out into its path whether any action would have been taken.


Can you elaborate - as you say, it doesn't appear to be a non-cycling zone.


It is a non-cycling zone at all times, as denoted by the separate sign, however motor vehicles are permitted 6am to 10am and 5pm to 8pm.

It appears that the incident occurred at 8:10pm http://www.windsorobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... _accident/, so it seems to me that there was some prospect of motor vehicles being present at this time.

There are certainly vans visible on the street view if you scroll back through the historical photos.

So apparently it is ok for commercial vehicles with diesel engines and four wheels to use the road.

But commercial vehicles with two wheels https://www.windsorexpress.co.uk/galler ... entre.html
are a 'severe problem'.

There are others also cycling on the road:
http://www.windsorobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... /?ref=ebln
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meic
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by meic »

So apparently it is ok for commercial vehicles with diesel engines and four wheels to use the road.

Pragmatic at least,
You cant really get out and push a loaded (even unloaded) 7.5tonner.
Yma o Hyd
thelawnet
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by thelawnet »

meic wrote:What is the betting that it was an after-thought when they realised they had forgotten to consider cyclists at all with the other signs.


The current signage appears to have been installed September 2010. Prior to that the current 18t limit was a no cycling sign, and there was a slightly longer loading period.

Hence the cycling rules haven't changed, it's just that they ran out of room when they added the weight restriction. Initial pedestrianisation took place in 1988 (lower) and 1992 (upper), and the lower part was further extended in 2010.
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mjr
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by mjr »

meic wrote:
So apparently it is ok for commercial vehicles with diesel engines and four wheels to use the road.

Pragmatic at least,
You cant really get out and push a loaded (even unloaded) 7.5tonner.

Discrimination against disabled cyclists who can't get off and push a loaded (even unloaded) pedal cycle.

Also, I'm told government policy has been that cycling should be allowed in pedestrian areas unless there's very good reason for about 30 years now, although plenty of anti-cycling councils seem to ban it.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Username
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by Username »

thelawnet wrote:The aptly named Richard Manners shouted at the prosecutor to 'f*** off'

Mr Manners is clearly remorseful to how he failed to make that turn.

'He knows he is going to prison today.



He sounds devastated.
thirdcrank
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by thirdcrank »

mjr wrote: ... Also, I'm told government policy has been that cycling should be allowed in pedestrian areas unless there's very good reason for about 30 years now, although plenty of anti-cycling councils seem to ban it.


From Cycle-friendly Infrastructure Ch 9 Vehicle Restricted Areas and Pedestrian Zones:

LTN 1/87 advises that exemptions for cyclists should be considered. (That's possibly the source of your thirty years.)

Section 9.2 of Cycle-friendly Infrastructure refers to research commissioned by the DoT. in 1991. (Too much to copy here.)

9.2.1 refers to TAL 9/93 Cycling in Pedestrian Areas.

9.2.2 Summarises all this:

The research revealed no real factors to justify excluding cyclists from pedestrian zones. Consequently greater tolerance and encouragement of mixing cyclists and pedestrians is warranted.


My campaigning days are now long-gone but I've had some heated discussions over this. eg I've made the point to the then Chair of the Highways and Transportation Committee that his views were based on ignorance rather than research such as this. I've also scoffed at the "cycling officer" who sought to justify exemptions for HGV's and minibuses on the grounds that they had "professional" drivers (as in "they are paid to do it.") Overall, it's one of the areas where some politicians want it both ways: have a policy to promote cycling but exclude cyclists.

I was lucky in those days in that they couldn't throw Charlie Alliston and now Richard Manners back at me. Nor the comments of those who defend their conduct.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by The utility cyclist »

Didn't think you could block access when making a protected space order?
it's specifically mentioned in law.
crs1953
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by crs1953 »

Why is this moron being described as a 'cyclist' ??????? He is merely another bike rider with no respect for the highway code and no regard whatsoever for the safety of others it would seem. His past criminal history as revealed to the court ( battery ) and his foul mouthed outburst directed at the police and prosecution barrister tell me all I need to know. Thug on a bike - certainly not a 'cyclist'. These are the totally irresponsible people who give genuine cyclists a bad name.
brooksby
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by brooksby »

crs1953 wrote:Why is this moron being described as a 'cyclist' ??????? He is merely another bike rider with no respect for the highway code and no regard whatsoever for the safety of others it would seem. His past criminal history as revealed to the court ( battery ) and his foul mouthed outburst directed at the police and prosecution barrister tell me all I need to know. Thug on a bike - certainly not a 'cyclist'. These are the totally irresponsible people who give genuine cyclists a bad name.


Do we ever differentiate between "genuine motorists" and "the totally irresponsible people who give genuine motorists a bad name"? If not, why do we feel we have to do it with humans riding bicycles?? :wink:
crs1953
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by crs1953 »

Do we really have to get into the semantics ? I'm sure most people will have seen the point I was making but fair enough . . . . . .. . . . he was a cyclist of the non law abiding variety. Pity we all get tarred with the same brush though because of the actions of idiots like him.
thelawnet
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by thelawnet »

Far from being a 'sport bike', it appears that the man was homeless and 'found' the bike. And it was never found by the police so it's not clear if the brakes were or were not working.

The video of the incident is here.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... d-boy.html

The video isn't perfect but it is not obvious that the rider has seen the boy, who seems to run more-or-less directly into his path. The possible issues affecting sentence:

* excess speed (it doesn't seem to be particularly fast though)
* cycling in an area where cycling is prohibited
* warning by the police the day before for cycling
* underclass/homeless person/bad attitude
* possible faulty bike

The cyclist's behaviour itself does not appear to be especially shocking, but rather run-of-the-mill the sort of thing you would see several times a day in any town in Britain. However it was a freak accident.

Freak accidents with motor vehicles, of course, typically result in £80 fines, although I suspect the culprit's poor attitude has seen him sent away here.
Stevek76
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by Stevek76 »

thelawnet wrote:Freak accidents with motor vehicles, of course, typically result in £80 fines, although I suspect the culprit's poor attitude has seen him sent away here.


Indeed, as with the other recent case.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
MikeF
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by MikeF »

One comment in the Daily Mail from Julia Ivanova

"Esmé Weir was killed by a van driver who had mounted the pavement - a pedestrian-only area. He was in breach of the Highway Code and a small child was killed as a result. He was taken to court and cleared. A 91-year-old man was killed on a pedestrian crossing by a driver who claimed she didn't see him. She was cleared too. A 19-year-old driver in Manchester hit a pedestrian on a zebra crossing claiming she was dazzled by the sun and didn't see him. Even when the court proved the sun was actually behind her she too was spared jail. The number of law breaking drivers vastly outnumbers even the total number of cyclists in the UK. But don't let facts get in the way of your prejudice.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
pwa
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Re: Another cyclist jailed for injuring pedestrian

Post by pwa »

Yesterday I was walking around the pedestrianised shopping streets of Cardiff, which I don't believe have a cycling ban. There were lots of pedestrians and just a few cyclists. I can't say I noticed any problems, but the cyclists I saw were all cautious, moving little faster than the pedestrians and, as far as I could tell, watching out for pedestrians changing direction. And of course there were small children around. The cyclist in this case was being reckless. The accident was a direct consequence of that.

Years ago I used to drive on a shared use track as part of my job, in a great big pick-up truck. I had a right to be there. I maintained the track. But as soon as I got on the track I adopted a different mode of driving to ensure safety and avoid intimidating track users. On went the hazard lights and the speed went down to a few mph, slower again when I met someone. I would stop completely to allow others to pass. Special behaviour for a path on which my own form of transport had to co-exist with pedestrians in close proximity, and on which pedestrians would normally expect to be free of motor traffic. If a child had run into my path as I was driving down that rack I would have blamed myself. The cyclist in this case should have had a similar mental gear shift when he entered the pedestrianised area.
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