[Closed] Cyclist killed on A9, another injured

😥 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 ****ing 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

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.

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.

jumpupanddown - Member
93 year olds should not be in cars full stop ... There should be a automatic driving ban at 75...

Nasty bit of ageist discrimination that.

Let's try again:
people with slow reactions or poor eyesight should not be in cars full stop, regardless of age...

Just because some people are stuffed at 60, doesn't mean others are. The longer people can live independently the better for them, and the better for us.

Your words may come back to haunt you one day. Let's hope you're not living somewhere remote where there is next to no public transport (eg far north of Scotland).

I hear you and agree epicyclo.

Should be automatic on a case by case basis. Its sad because take away a pensioners car and effectively they have no real escape from their immediate environment.

Imagine the day you and me etc become tired and ache alot after walking just 400m's. We've got another 15yrs of this to look forward to but with a car we can go places and feel 'liberated' still.

Then again its about risk to other road users.

That is a terribly sad story - unbearable for the family.

its about risk to other road users

You can often see the elderly get out of their cars and hold on to the vehicle to walk around it ... IMO they should not be driving a standard car if they have limited mobility in their legs. They cannot possibly be as responsive as a younger driver.

And, as often as not, the cars that come closest to my elbow when I'm riding are driven by the older members of society. Strict retesting should be essential >70 and not just a routine paper exercise as it appears to be at the moment.

When car insurance costs for a 75 year old are as much as for a 20 year old, I'll believe they are a greater risk.

however upset we may oercieve reactions time reduces as you age.
To some degree you can negate this by driving slower but inles syou want to argue that age does not involve decline I dont really see what your poinr is when you cite ageism.
I think a test is a good idea [ and dont support a you are x you get a ban] but lets not pretend that our reactions wont get slower as we get older.

RIP very sad story

To some degree you can negate this by driving slower but inles syou want to argue that age does not involve decline I dont really see what your poinr is when you cite ageism.

[b]Their[/b] reactions will probably be slower than [b]their[/b] reactions were when they were younger but that does not mean that they are slower than [b]all[/b] 20 year olds. In a lot of cases they may be but there will be 20 yr olds with slow reactions too or older people who had incredibly fast reactions when they were younger that have declined to merely average levels. That's why it's ageism to have a blanket ban at a particular age.

A proper retest at some stage(s) over your driving life sounds like good idea and I can think of a number of families that would have welcomed it to help them persuade older relatives it was time to call it a day and a salutatory lesson for those of us in the middle of our driving life who had got into sloppy habits.

what a lovely lot of agism. Chronological age is no indicator of how well you function. some 90 yr olds are more able than some 30 yr olds.

the answer is compulsory retesting for everyone.

accident stats do not lie, OAPs are not a high risk group.

I give you the example of len vale onslow - riding a motorcycle daily at 102 yrs old

[img] [/img] died a few years ago. One of the greats.

I give you the example of len vale onslow - riding a motorcycle daily at 102 yrs old

He's riding on the pavement. 😯

oops

LOL!

Drac - Moderator
He's riding on the pavement.

Doesn't everyone do that with their motorbike? Makes it more sporting than riding on the road...

He's a good example though. Bet he was safer than any amount of 20 year olds on a motorbike.

He's riding on the pavement.

Drac - Moderator
He's riding on the pavement.

looks like he's stationary on the pavement to me

We live close to the A49 in Cheshire and see LEJOGers along there almost every day....I wouldn't ride along there on my bike for more than the 100 yards or so it takes me to get to my routes as it's a treacherous road. I don't know of any accidents along there yet, but tbh drivers, including HGV's, routinely drive at 70 along there & it's not a dual carriageway. In some spots it's pretty narrow and twisting.

I gave up my roadbike several years ago, which was a big impact and meant giving up racing, simply because my kids were getting into it and I couldn't possibly let them ride on the roads round here - almost strictly off road for us now.

These stories are terribly sad but I am afraid, with increasing amounts of traffic, faster cars, ageing drivers, mad teenage drivers, seemingly increasing car culture (witness Top Gears popularity and some of the outrageous driving they seem to do on country roads in their test drives - surely encourages the same in their audience??!)...there is only one way - and that's to head for the trails and keep away from the roads!

Chronological age is no indicator of how well you function.

Untrue!
Of course there are odd exceptions.
TJ
You bang on about facts and evidence all the time but conveniently forget it when it suits.

I find your post terribly sad, velocipede - I still happily ride on the road lots, and statistically doing so is far from the most dangerous sport I could take part in. Hope my kids will enjoy it to when they're just a little older (actually I already take them on the tandem). Wouldn't choose to ride on the A49, but there are plenty of other choices of road.

velocipede I rarely commute on my bike to work now here in Manchester. One close miss a week is too much.

Ironically most of the close misses have been with Police officers. I imagine its a 7am shift start at the local large area headquarters. I could complain but honestly- what would really happen?

I ****ing kid you not. Only last week I had to pull up alongside a Officer rushing for his shift and ask him to CALM DOWN three times after he undertook me at over 40 in a 30.

We live close to the A49 in Cheshire and see LEJOGers along there almost every day....I wouldn't ride along there on my bike for more than the 100 yards or so it takes me to get to my routes as it's a treacherous road.

When we did lejog we tried very hard to avoid the major routes, actually quite easy to do much nicer on quieter roads.

both coming from Shrewsbury my best mate and I knowing the A49 well north and south we were amazed that so many joggers use any of it..crap road to cycle on but then it is a crap road to drive on as well.

ps Top Gear is great fun

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....

Call me a pedant but he retired 4 months ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/13721531.stm

Ironically most of the close misses have been with Police officers. I imagine its a 7am shift start at the local large area headquarters. I could complain but honestly- what would really happen?

Its not just that but what good it'll achieve. I can easily go to the desk with the reg number and create merry hell. There just seems to be a fair few who are probably running late? (circa 640-700am).

nick1962 - Member

Chronological age is no indicator of how well you function.

Untrue!
Of course there are odd exceptions.
TJ
You bang on about facts and evidence all the time but conveniently forget it when it suits.

I work with the elderly - its my speciality.

chronological age is no guide at all - biological age is.

I have met 90- yr olds who are still competent cyclists, I have met 65 year olds who are to old to drive.

this why an age cutoff is wrong a skills cuttoff is right. when you r reaction time or cognitive ability is diminishing then you need to stop driving. For some this will be in their 60s, for some their 90s

Len vale Onslow / Stirling moss - are you going to say they are too old to drive?

I'm at work at the moment and one of the lads who works for me is friends with the couple. It had started to rain so they stopped to put their coats on. The driver swerved to avoid a cat that ran into the road and ploughed straight through them.

Chris is apparently awake but not in a good way.

Personally, I would at least attempt to stay on topic given the circumstances.

No one is saying you just cant drive when you reach a certain age just that you have declined from earlier years and a retest may be prudent. It is ridiculous to claim there is no decline with age just as it is ridiculous to claim there are no difference between people of the same age.
Is sterling Moss as good now as he was in his prime ...see we even have a word to describe your peak.
Why do you specialise with the elderly ? Is it because they are different from the rest of us. Is this difference due to age ?
EDIT: Given the above post I am out, it appeared whilst I was typing slowly

. The driver swerved to avoid a cat that ran into the road and ploughed straight through them.

Like i always say kill or hurt my loved one, accident or not, i will kill you.

Charming.

How about compulsory re-test every 10 years from the date you first pass your test then every 5 years after your 70, must include a more stringent eyesight test.

The test really is a joke, no motorway driving no night driving, even when i passes it at 17 i thought i was a piece of piss.

Would force drivers to get more training. Yes costs would go up but maybe road death would be reduced from the 4000 a year they are at.

The car driver in this accident was on her way to hospital for a cataract operation.

thegreatape - Member

The car driver in this accident was on her way to hospital for a cataract operation.

You couldn't make it up

My wife does Marie Curie nursing, amongst other things. She told me today about her most recent patient, who died this week from a brain tumour. This man had been having vision and balance problems for several months. He refused to see his doctor for the sole reason that he feared the doctor would stop him driving. Only when he could no longer pick anything up did he go. How did this man who could not hold a book travel to his doctor. Yes, he drove there.

It's terrible news and infuriating that a cat was deemed more important by the driver than 2 human beings...

I feel for the husband and wife.

Their families must be going through hell right now.

"Would force drivers to get more training. Yes costs would go up but maybe road death would be reduced from the 4000 a year they are at. "

You mean like down to the 2222 in 2009?

The UK has among the safest roads in Europe. Not that there isn't room for further improvement. Why, for example, do we have a system where drivers routinely can get three driving convictions in three years without a ban? Why are there so many loopholes allowing drivers convicted of seriously bad driving to escape bans. Over 100mph and no ban? Come on.

http://www.highland-news.co.uk/News/Ton-up-Inverness-driver-escapes-ban-03082011.htm

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/8432347.Motorists_escape_ban_despite_topping_100mph_on_A417/

etc.

getonyourbike - Member
It's terrible news and infuriating that a cat was deemed more important by the driver than 2 human beings...

There are many stupid people driving who will swerve for animals without thinking.

That in its self should be worth a life time ban even if they didnt hit anyone.

getonyourbike - Member
It's terrible news and infuriating that a cat was deemed more important by the driver than 2 human beings...
POSTED 7 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Id imagine It's a natural reaction for the majority of people to swerve if anything runs out.

I work with the elderly - its my speciality.

How many times have you had concerned children of elderly drivers request you to advise their father/mother not to drive?
It has happened to me heaps of times.
I think compulsory testing would remove the responsibility of the family in these situations.
I am surprised insurance companies haven't placed conditions on elderly drivers.
I agree that the skills of the elderly are highly variable but surely its not a bad thing to have them prove their ability in the interests of public safety.
Personally I would support a move to retest annually. 5 years is a long of time in this group.

Hugor - I agree with retesting for everyone, I don't agree with blanket age bans

I'm pretty sure white people are involved in most of the accidents in the UK.

Maybe we should ban them.

Prejudiced discriminatory policies are ridiculous.

That's tragic outcome for what was probably a trip of of lifetime. I've been knoocked off by a 70+ yr old and yes compulsary re-testing should be done over 70 IMO.

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.

We did Lejog and specifically avoided as much trunk road as possible and enjoy the ride rather than just surviving. Meant a longer route obviously but we had no close encounters with cars/lorries en-route. [url= http://letojog.co.uk/ ]Lejog[/url]. At the top of Scotlandshire we went up the "A836" (it's little more than a lane) over Craske Inn and down to Altnaharra - Brilliant route to avoid A9.

When re-searching the route we couldn't believe how many people were taking both the A30 in cornwall and the A9 up north. Just hugely dangerous roads to be on a bike riding....and yes I know we have the right, I just think self-preservation and enjoyment is a major consideration for the sake of a few extra miles/hours. Especially when no one doing this is realistically going to break any of the existing records...