Cyclist killed on A9, another injured

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-15005204

😥 Not so good. Possible tragic end to a LEJOG.

A cyclist was killed and her husband seriously injured when they were hit by a car as they holidayed in Scotland to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

Elaine Dunne, 30, from Leicester, was cycling with her husband Chris when the pair were involved in a crash with a car near John o’ Groats in Caithness.

The couple had been on a week’s camping trip and were cycling back to Wick to catch the night train home after celebrating their first wedding anniversary on September 18.

Mr Dunne remains in intensive care at a hospital in Glasgow after the incident on the A99 at Auckengill on Wednesday.

Mrs Dunne’s sister Pauline Hodkin told STV News she was still in shock and said she was “the best sister you could ever have”. She said the couple were very “adventurous” and loved to travel.

Ms Hodkin also revealed the couple got engaged on the West Highland Way several years ago

The 93-year-old woman driving the car involved in the crash was not badly injured in the incident.

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said: “Police inquiries into the collision are on-going and a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

WTF is a 93 year old doing in a **** car, hope she spends the last few years of her life in jail.

WTF is a 93 year old doing in a **** car, hope she spends the last few years of her life in jail.

Oh, you’re privvy to an accident report already?

How did it happen then?

How did it happen then?

Who cares!?!

Hangings too good etc etc.

93 year olds should not be in cars full stop. That 93 year old is 100% responsible for the death, you body is finished by that age and there is no way you can safely drive a car. There should be a automatic driving ban at 75.

93 year olds should not be in cars full stop. That 93 year old is 100% responsible for the death, you body is finished by that age and there is no way you can safely drive a car. There should be a automatic driving ban at 75

Still racing… And he’d kick your arse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Moss

And there’s others.
Compulsory retesting, however, is a different matter….

Sorry you brain has declined at that age, you response time will be very slow as you’re brain is worn out. Italy is soon to ban all over 80’s from driving.

what costs us more and causes more deaths though? Old people driving, or old people having no mobility as their unable to drive

Sorry you brain has declined at that age, you response time will be very slow as you’re brain is worn out
Italy is soon to ban all over 80’s from driving.

So? That doesn’t make it right. Have you driven in Italy?

What about the crap drivers under 80?????
My wife gets a lift with a woman in her 30s who scares the crap out of her she’s so bad….

agreed – ridiculous age to be driving – seriously is WRONG.

if they manage to get to that age then hats off to them, but dicing with death letting them out on open roads im afraid.

Compulsory retesting yes, blanket age bans, absolutely not.

what costs us more and causes more deaths though? Old people driving, or old people having no mobility as their unable to drive

yeah, but they are old.

PeterPoddy – Member

Sorry you brain has declined at that age, you response time will be very slow as you’re brain is worn out
Italy is soon to ban all over 80’s from driving.

So? That doesn’t make it right. Have you driven in Italy?

What about the crap drivers under 80?????
My wife gets a lift with a woman in her 30s who scares the crap out of her she’s so bad….

yet she still goes with her…….

agreed – ridiculous age to be driving – seriously is WRONG

Why? If they can pass the same test at that age, why stop them?

The problem is that there’s no way of quatifying it.

Retests every 5 years regardless of age…. Or are YOU scared of that?

did they even have a driving test 75 odd years ago?

yet she still goes with her…….

And? Nothing to do with this thread, it was an illustration only.

EDIT
She won’t go on the back of the motorbike with Mrs PP riding. I will.

very sad news…

Sorry you brain has declined at that age, you response time will be very slow as you’re brain is worn out. Italy is soon to ban all over 80’s from driving.

I hate to bring facts in to this, but all that happened in Italy is one, of many, proposals to cut the amount of deaths on the roads was to bring in a ban

”We must look at setting an age limit for driving – once it is passed then a licence would be taken away,” said Mario Valducci, chairman of the Italian Parliament Transport Committee. ”It is still at the proposal stage and it would be either around 80 or 85 years old but it is something that is being seriously considered.”

This was in July 2010. So looks like it died on it’s arse.

You’re more likely to cause a crash in you’re teens and early 20s than you are as an OAP

Ban young’uns from driving too

PeterPoddy – Member

yet she still goes with her…….

And? Nothing to do with this thread, it was an illustration only.

if shes that scared why on earth go with her??? catch the bust, taxi, drive herself….

silly to grab a lift with someone who scares you to death

My Grandad was driving until he was 95. He’s still got a license but we finally persuaded him to stop as he clearly wasn’t fit to do so and really hadn’t been for a while. His solution was to drive everywhere very slowly but the car was covered in small (Low speed) dents where he’d just not seen godknowswhat.

He felt that because they kept giving him a licence, he could still drive and really losing the car is/was a hassle for them with where they live but we could all see that if he didn’t stop, this sort of thing could well eventually happen.

He didn’t have to pass a test when he started – apparently his driver (his family were pretty rich) taught him how to drive and then you just posted off for a license.

what costs us more and causes more deaths though? Old people driving, or old people having no mobility as their unable to drive

It just i dont want to be killed by one, that’s all.

Still racing… And he’d kick your arse

He retired this year.

Anyway. I feel we are getting away from Cupra’s original post….

The 93-year-old woman driving the car involved in the crash was not badly injured in the incident.

Well it’s a relief that the person surrounded by a metal box was OK.

if shes that scared why on earth go with her??? catch the bust, taxi, drive herself…

Once again you miss the point. 🙄
But I’ll explain to shut you up:

Bus? None available. Train is too slow and unreliable, tried that, and costs a mint, too far to cycle (20 miles each way)
Taxi? 40 miles? We’re not millionaires!
I have the car as I’m working away!

I’d rather she took the scooter or motorbike, I’ve said as much. It’s cheaper than giving the lift petrol money and it seems safer to me, but she carries on…. who am I to argue?

He retired this year.

My mistake. Not bad for what, 82? Still kick your arse though! 🙂

There should be annual eye tests compulsory for EVERY age driver.

I bet there are a few middle-aged drivers out there who really should wear glasses/have an eye test.

Peter Poddy, seriously 93yr old is too old.

Peter Poddy, seriously 93yr old is too old.

Yes. Quite possibly.
But AGE ALONE is the wrong criteria for stopping someone driving.

Skill or a medical reason is more appropriate, which is my point. There can be no set age for stopping driving, can there? Everyone is different.

Do you know anyone in their 40s/50s whos eyesight is so bad they can’t see past the end of their arm, still driving, but they’re too vain or thick to get glasses?
I do.

Do you know anyone who scraped through their test, has no interest in driving safely, doesn’t maintain their car through idelness or ignorance and can barely control a car?
I do.

Do you know someone who’s parents were taken out by a middle aged man with a known heart condition who had a heart attack on an A-road, and hit them head on with a 100+mph closing speed?
I do. (Her mum was left disabled, her dad was still in and out of hospital last time we met…)

That’s where retesting comes in. And a proper strict medical, eyesight, reactions, the lot. Weed the crap out.

But it will never happen.
Why?
Becasue driving makes the government money. Lots of money. Less drivers = Less money & Less votes

Yet another thread turns into a stupid debate off on a tangent – have some respect. Tragic news, some dangerous roads on that route, rip.

Yet another thread turns into a stupid debate off on a tangent

So? That’s what forums are for.

One of my colleagues is a commercial helicopter pilot, which he has to wear glasses/contact lenses for, do you think he wears them to drive his car?

Me & my boss who both cycle/motorcycle and wear glasses were pretty shocked…

Yet another thread turns into a stupid debate off on a tangent – have some respect. Tragic news, some dangerous roads on that route, rip.

I see where you are coming from and hear you. It’d be better if something happened because of this and there was an investigation and change. Something good came out of bad?

which he has to wear glasses/contact lenses for, do you think he wears them to drive his car?

Does he need to? Is he very short sighted? I wear glasses, but I don’t need them to drive as I’m long sighted, but it makes reading the speedo easier!!

He has to wear them (by law) to fly a helicopter. And he struggles to read a white board at 5 meters…

It’s an attitude thing, and it desperately needs correcting.

So sad about the cyclists. 30 is no age to die, and her poor husband, well, I can’t even begin to imagine how much grieving he is going to have to go through 🙁

I’d like to see compulsory re-tests for all drivers every 15 years going to every 5 years once over 75.

compulsory retesting still remeber my grandad driving when i was a child of 7 [ after a stroke] and having to keep telling him this side this side to keep him on the correct side of the road. WTF my parents were thinking of letting us get in a car with him
+ 1 eye tests

Was thinking last time I was up that way how little I’d want to ride on the A9 but how little choice you would have on the top of Scotland part of the route if you wanted to do the lejog.

Like channel swimming, there has to be better routes/ destinations than choosing these default ones just because they are there and well known.