"Breaking" news.

[thirdcrank]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-17066798

With appologies to Phillip Mead for the canteen humour in the title.

[hubgearfreak]

mr. mead, i hope you're fully recovered.

as for the driver, i'd be interested to know the length of his driving ban and why it isn't permanent

[reohn2]

mr. mead, i hope you're fully recovered.

+1

as for the driver, i'd be interested to know the length of his driving ban and why it isn't permanent

And why he's not in prison until he's tripping over his beard.
S-e-ve-n-t-e-e-n m-o-n-t-h-s and he'll serve atleast h-a-l-f of it

[gilesjuk]

17 months is ridiculous. If you inflicted the same injuries with a baseball bat you'd be doing a lot more than that, max of 5 years I think (GBH).

Lets hope he never gets behind the wheel of a vehicle again. It would be nice if insurers would actually refuse to insure such people due to the risk, it would then be irrelevant if they had a licence or not.

[thirdcrank]

.... If you inflicted the same injuries with a baseball bat .....

In terms of blunt instruments, a bus must be as blunt as they get. This type of thing may happen more than anybody realises. It must often be impossible to tell the difference between rubbish observation by a driver and the deliberate infliction of injury. Nor is it an exact science. Spur of the moment or premeditated, the extent of any injuries is completely unpredictable.

I suspect most of us have given drivers a spot of unsolicited advice on how they might improve their driving techniques (There's a thread somewhere on here about when I was chased throgh the middle of Leeds by the driver of a double decker when I did so, but this shows that it doesn't always bring out the best in people. Vorpal recently received an apology but not all drivers are reflective practitioners.

Finally, this crime also illustrates a point I regularly make: driving tests cover technical skills, not psychological suitability to be at the wheel.

[cjchambers]

This type of thing may happen more than anybody realises. It must often be impossible to tell the difference between rubbish observation by a driver and the deliberate infliction of injury.

My thoughts - this cyclist was 'lucky' enough to be assaulted in a pretty obvious way, with good CCTV evidence, the bus company was on his side, and I suspect he had good representation too. Many others do not fare as well.

It is regrettable that such people are allowed to drive again so quickly after proving themselves unable to do so safely - I doubt he'll ever drive a bus again though with the dismissal on his CV.

[hubgearfreak]

It would be nice if insurers would actually refuse to insure such people due to the risk, it would then be irrelevant if they had a licence or not.

in much the same way as we wouldn't use motor vehicle to deliberately knock someone over, having no insurance would prevent you and me from driving. i suspect lawless thugs like this may take less notice.

[Redvee]

If the incident had happened 30 or so minutes later the area would have been crawling with police as this happened outside the magistrates court.

[hubgearfreak]

And why he's not in prison until he's tripping over his beard.

and what about this judge's judgement?
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Road-rag ... story.html

[hubgearfreak]

and the bus driver....
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Road-rag ... story.html

[Redvee]

and the bus driver....
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Road-rag ... story.html

That is an old picture as he's found his razor after seeing him on the local news tonight, still has is own airbags though.

[alanesq]

Great news that he was prosecuted

I personally think this is very common
- I know I have been very nearly killed by a lorry driver ramming me out of the way on purpose and recently a car driver admitted openly that he had tried to ram me because I was in his way.
As I have said before - a car/lorry/bus can just ram a cyclist as they can always just say they didn't see them and this seems acceptable?
Without the CCTV in this case who would have believed the cyclist that the bus diver has done it on purpose.

I think CCTV on your cycle is the best defence we have - it may not stop them but it can give a much better chance of getting something done about it. I never go anywhere on my bike without my camera running now.
BTW - I reported a bus driver just last week and sent them video footage - they tell me the driver has been disciplined for it?

[thirdcrank]

When the late Gwynneth Dunwoody was the chair of the relevant parliamentary select committee, she was reported as having made the point that using a motor vehicle to commit murder might easily go undetected.

[Redvee]

Better report with added footage of road users conflicting with cyclists including the tanker clip again.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17069235

[snibgo]

According to the Mirror:

Hill was [also] disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years and ordered to pass an extended driving test.