I am shocked she only got two years.
Bike Forum
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Is a two year ban long enough?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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It may not be long enough (what would be) but it reflects the fact that it was an accident/driver error and appears to be inline with other sentences from similar circumstances.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The trouble is that any longer and she'd probably start driving illegally.
And she was rather unlucky (sic) to hit 'somebody', rather than just a 'nobody', otherwise she'd probably not even got that,
Posted 2 years ago # -
To be honest, I'm sure for her the worst possible sentence will be living with the guilt...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I would also like to bring to note the mild recklessness of racing on a main road in a full black strip. TT bikes running on main roads ought to carry lights as they are prone to being ridden in a somewhat full on manner and the A4 crazies out our way cane it across all roundabouts and it is up to the cars to avoid the accidents.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't know how you'd decide how long was 'long enough' i.e. how much of someone's liberty you'd swap for someone else's life. I do know I'm glad that it's decided by courts, not the family, friends or peers. My first instinct is that anyone who kills a cyclist should be locked up for a long, long time but you have to take into account that she didn't set out that day to kill anyone.
Posted 2 years ago # -
the OP implies she only got a 'ban' - the article doesn't mention a driving ban, just 21 months in jail?
Posted 2 years ago # -
It's also not just the time in jail - it's the fact that she'll have been to jail which will affect her in many ways even when she's out - eg getting jobs and so on.
It does seem in line with other sentences and I suppose the question you have to ask is if she was jailed for longer would that actually make it less likely that she would commit the same crime again? Probably not so then the sentence is right in a sense of being a deterrent and hopefully act as a reminder to people. Don't forget you're not talking about a criminal who sees going to jail as a part of the job (assuming of course that she isn't a regular jail-goer!) and won't be too fussed by it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Its an awkward question you pose, this case has been all over my local news.
She certainly did not set out to kill a person.
The case has been heightened due to the dead mans title of major.
These roads should be coned for such events. or
The A1 should not be used for such events.
I feel the sentence is just enough as she came across a bit as if its "one of those things" Year and half is a good amount of time to think.Posted 2 years ago # -
A friend of mine got 4 yr ban and 10 month jail for dangerous driving about 5 years ago
3 days after his test driving - took a corner too fast clipped a car going the other way and that crashed into the one following him. A little girl had her arm amputated and was left in a messed up way.
It was tragic all round - complete result of inexperience. He is now the slowest driver you could imagine, stops after 1 hr on the road for a break. the jail sentence achieved nothing at all and the judge actually said it was because he worked for his fathers building company and the sentence wouldn't effect employment prospects. He could have been building bush shelters or fitting kitchens into old peoples homes.
In this case I dont think the 2 yr ban is enough but i dont see the benefit of a custodial sentence.
Posted 2 years ago # -
carbon337 - A 19-year-old motorist who hit a cyclist on the A1 in Cambridgeshire has been jailed for 21 months for causing death by dangerous driving
so she got longer than your mate...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think the sentance is a p**s take. Cyclist,Major or not, she showed through either incompetence or ignorance a lack of attention while driving that cost someone there life, and a lifetime of hurt for their family and loved ones.
To get, ultimately, 12 months and a 2 year driving ban for it astounds me
Posted 2 years ago # -
To be honest, I agree with carbon, I cant see the benefit of her being sent to jail. Why COMPLETELY ruin 2 families lifes? I'd say that there is preety much no chance of her ever doing this again, and it can hardly serve as a detterent. Its not like people set out to kill someone in these cases. Yeah, ban her from driving, thats fair, but locking her up isnt in my honest opinion.
Another thing is, some cyclists dont help themselves. WHy have a race on a busy road, on a saturday morning? I stopped doing my local time trials as I thought they were far too dangerous, and if I ever ride on the road now, I wear VERY bright colours.
I'm not trying to cause offence at all here, its just what I think
Posted 2 years ago # -
He got twice the ban than her but didnt kill anyone, she go 21 month but is only serving 10 month in custody which is the same as he did.
I wouldn't like to compare the two at all as both there were tragic consequences and in both situations to innocent parties.
ANother example of random sentencing for motoring offenses.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I stopped following that case a while back but didn't other competitors reports she'd past them dangerously close before (the implication being she was trying to intimidate them)? On a clear day you don't just hit someone from behind, and the black strip is irrelevant - this wasn't a race at night.
I used to do a lot of TTs and although never had an accident myself I heard about a lot of incidents in races I was doing (mostly people leaning out of cars and deliberately pushing cyclists off or deliberately cutting them up). Granted TTers can be a danger to themselves and others at roundabouts but that wasn't a factor in this case.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tricky one this I always think. For me the issue is how do the penalties deter and prevent the bad/dangerous driving which is the cause of these tragedies. If there was intent (ie a boy racer driving recklessly to get a kick) then a hefty prison sentence is justified, but if not and it's simply down to inexperience or inattention then a short or suspended sentence is preferable. There's no point sending someone to prison simply for revenge.
I would however introduce life bans for anyone who injures or kills a cyclist. The life bans could be operated like life-sentences where the offender gets a license to drive again which can then be arbitrarily taken away for any minor offence.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm in two minds on the sentence- on the one hand she seems to be getting off lightly for what she's done, but then like others I'd question the value of prison in cases like this. But I don't think she should ever drive again, and the fact that she will be able to is a reflection of the way that the car comes first in this country.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm quite surprised at the custodial sentence, its fairly steep, though in these sort of cases, I think a more useful sentence would be a life driving ban, with jail for the inevitable time when the offender is caught driving unlicensed.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Knowing that road well I wouldn't ever want to ride on it through choice. I cringe a little when I see some of the roads used by testers, I only did a few years worth but still witnessed two deaths.
I think under the circumstances testers are sometimes a little arrogant and wrapped up in their own little highly focused world. I also don't think organisers do enough to warn motorists of whats ahead. I for example would know when one 'racer' is about to pull out without looking to overtake, a nineteen year old lass might not.
Lets be honest we've all seen loads of testers risk death at roundabouts and lane changes for the return stretch.
Yes the very distinctive jet black.Posted 2 years ago # -
WHy have a race on a busy road, on a saturday morning?
Because unfortunately our backwards TT community revolves around fast times above all else.
Not that that has any bearing on this case unless you think rape victims are asking for it if they're showing any flesh. The fact is drivers are responsible for driving safely and this driver clearly wasn't.
Posted 2 years ago # -
So sad that someone loses their life, and the driver has to live with the guilt for the rest of her life. I almost never cycle on the road unless I have to, too dangerous.
If one of my family was killed by a motorist I would probably want the culprit to pay as high a price as possible in my initial outrage.
If I hit a cyclist and killed them I don't know how I would cope and what effects it would have on my mental health. A jail sentence wouldn't make me think about it more or repent more, just have a massive impact on my family's life. Your view depends which side of the fence you sit!Posted 2 years ago # -
To be honest, I'm sure for her the worst possible sentence will be living with the guilt...
Agreed. Two years is long enough IMO.
If anything, I'd rather see tougher sentences for more minor incidents.
My friend was knocked off his bike the other day. He went over the roof of a car that pulled onto a roundabout when he had right of way.
The driver is unlikely to even be prosecuted and my mate could have been crippled or died.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Maybe the driving ban is fair but not the sentence. People don't take enough care on the roads and she should have received a longer sentence for driving like a retard. She may not have set out to kill someone but if you don't concentrate whilst driving that's what you'll end up doing. I'm surprised more cyclists aren't killed by crap drivers. How many times do you see motorists actually bother to signal when overtaking cyclists or give them sufficient room? Then there's all those idiots like Clarkson who slag off cyclists for getting in the way.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I was forced to think about the whole car/bike thing whilst filling in that IAM survey yesterday, and the conclusion I came to was that the driving test needs to be a helluva lot tougher. A section including bike (engined and pedalled) awareness can only be a very good idea.
Not sure how the mechanics of it would work - I remember sitting in a simulator, but it was just like playing a computer game and in no way prepared me for real life driving....
Lack of education seems to be the main culprit - many people simply don't know how to overtake a bike - they just keep their speed up and hope they'll miss you.
All very sad.
Posted 2 years ago # -
My friend was knocked off his bike the other day. He went over the roof of a car that pulled onto a roundabout when he had right of way.
Yup I've had that. I've also had someone turn right across me resulting in a head-on collision with me rolling across their bonnet and windscreen. Luckily I was uninjured, however in both cases the attitude of the driver was the classic SMIDSY excuse. And although they were very apologetic, they didn't quite grasp the potential seriousness of it until I started ranting about how I could've been killed and how my kids would have felt after being told their dad was dead because some idiot wasn't looking where they were going (I always find guilt tripping of this type works quite well by the way!).
It's this lack of recognition of the seriousness of simple mistakes or inattention whilst driving which needs to be tackled by both education and deterrance, and I don't think it's ever going to happen until they start handing out hefty bans for either life or 10-20 years in addition to fines and prison sentences.
Posted 2 years ago # -
All comes down to most car drivers thinking that bikes aren't part of the flow of traffic and instead are just borrowing part of the edge of the road that they aren't using themselves. At best cyclists are just features to swerve around, like a pothole.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And yes, the road was busy. With legitimate road users. Cyclists.
Posted 2 years ago # -
We need far harsher sentencing for crap driving that doesn't cause a death. Bans at 6 points, etc.
A jail term for killing someone will not be a deterrent for others because "it'll never happen to me". Having two of your mates not driving for 3 months because they drove like dicks will.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Something I'd add is its a myth that drivers who kill have their lives 'devastated with guilt'
I was surprised to learn that I know three people, one a local doctor, who have killed while behind the wheel. In all cases, they were back driving ASAP.
Now, I'm sure they feel y'know, really, really bad :roll:, but at the end of the day humans are compulsive self-deluders, and even the guiltiest will convince themself that "I might have made a mistake, but my family/important job doesn't deserve to suffer too by me not driving"
I'd like to think if I'd been responsible for a death, I would realise that it was proof my driving had been found wanting.Posted 2 years ago # -
I would expect the jail time is more to do with the not guilty plea at the trial start. Other cyclists has given statements about her lack of care and attention in the run up to the death.
Posted 2 years ago # -
WHy have a race on a busy road, on a saturday morning?
At 7am on a Saturday morning it's not a busy road. That's beside the point anyway. The driver in this case had already passed inches from another rider - on an empty dual carriageway - and the car following her could clearly see Major Rhys-Evans (no problems with visibility) and could only watch as Miss Hart drove straight through him without making any attempt to change course. A tragic episode of driving way below an acceptable standard.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Im not really sure what the sentence should be but imagine, instead of running the cyclist over the girl accidently shot someone, or she crashed her light aircraft into a house and killed some one.
In these cases no one would argue she should have her gun or aircraft license permentley removed.
In some cases I think this is similar, if it really was an accident why should she go to jail. I dont think its going to help the situation and as mentioned its going to ruin her life which may in turn ruin other peoples life.
What would seem more fair is take away her license permantly however this is seen as such a terrible punishment the judge would prefer to send her to prison which is just a bit strange.
Also people seem to suggest that going to prison gives people time to think and repent over their crime however I think it this case it would be more likely to harden her heart and make her think shes been unfairly treated.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Life bans for serious offences, serious prison sentences for drivers who drive whilst DQ'd. DQ's drivers have proven their lack of respect for the rest of the road using public by getting a ban in th efirst place, then proved they are not repentant in any way by continuing with this behaviour. DQ'd drivers are a menace to society and shoud eb treated like the vermin that they are.
Like miketually says, tooWe need far harsher sentencing for crap driving that doesn't cause a death. Bans at 6 points, etc.
A jail term for killing someone will not be a deterrent for others because "it'll never happen to me". Having two of your mates not driving for 3 months because they drove like dicks will.
but heaven forbid we could ruin someones life by making them take the bus, or SHOCK HORROR, having to CYCLE!!!!! ( well, the roads are so dangerous you know....!)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sad, but even as a cyclist why do you want to ride on the A1 why not do TTs on a controlled track like they do at Lotus in the summer
Posted 2 years ago # -
if you can't see people in broad daylight on a clear road, you're not fit to drive a car, should be a lifetime ban.
Posted 2 years ago #
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