Well - we are still back to failings in COAST as the main complaint amongst the cyclists here
Given the number of incidents which are due to errors in this .. and they are all inter-twined and inter-dependent in the overall cumulative of competence on the road.
It's why we try to get COAST as a nagging reminder
into most posts on here
There is of course an element of six of one/half dozen of the other as all road users have a responsibility to look out and apply COAST in their road using styles
Anyway the reader writes
Quote:
How many times do cyclists who are involved in accidents or "near misses" - hear dangerous drivers say "I did not see you" The driver who killed Jason McIntryre made the same lame excuse
A court has to decide how far dangerous or careless the action was - based on the evidence as presented to it .. along with witness statements. I will concede that the courts do not always get things right though.
But as we point out - justice is certainly not about "revenge" - but about balancing and addressing the hurts on each side and looking at ways to avoid such re-occurrence as best we can. We have to take each side into account.
But the fails are COAST related and this is why I, along with those Mad Cats - plus a few others now
, ram it down throats to try to correct this grievance
Quote:
Lethal drivers who briefly glance to the right as they go too fast around roundabouts or tight bends or country roads
( The wild
took a hard line lane on the 104 mph saga at Over Kellett
She was actually taken aback by the amount of self rightous hot air on a different motoring board. I am on record on here as not condoning that level of daftness even if "in training"
)
But it's still failing to apply basic COAST skills and this is one huge reason why driving standards are deteriorating as we place far too much emhasis on "speed" and insufficient on the actual basics which lead, perhaps, to an unwise choice of speed, gear and positioning on the roads.. along with a chronic inability to observe - let alone anticipate.
It's why I keep on with COAST reminders .. along with hints to read "Highway Code.. Road Craft.. Motor Bike Craft.. Paul Ripley.. Peter Amey.. Cycle Craft .. Mind Driving " .. (and so on )
- all of which put the "flesh" onto COAST
Along with the next comment.. , mor my C in CONCENTRATION!
Quote:
The same type of drivers are illegally on mobile phones.. installing a CD or arguing with the kids in the back.
The vast majority of these drivers, if they crash into a cyclist, wil claim they did not see the cyclist
Actually - does not matter who or what they hit .. it''s almost always "suddenly and from nowhere" :shock
- Again WHY I keep on shouting
C O A S T!
Quote:
The truth is they were not bothering to look where they were going
Usually for some split second in some .. and sheer complacency in others.
(And I do not exclude police drivers either in this one. Human beings ain't perfect. . I do not exclude cyclists from these same fails either for the same reason - No one person can claim never to make an error or be perfect. We are accident prone - but we have to take steps to try to prevent by always being prepared to accept and learn from mistakes .. and to compensate to diffuse accident potential as best we can.
Quote:
They question by a competent defence
(his words - think he means PROSECUTOR ) lawyer should be :
"If you did not see the cyclist - do you drive with defective vision?"
Unless the driver wishes to incriminate himself - the answer should be NO
The defence
lawyer states
"So if your eyesight is good, it's not that you did not see the cyclist. The truth is that you did not look where you were going."
This fact .. when driven home would make the case for the prosecution much better as it changes the perception from accidental fault to serious incompetence"
I can see this person has not been in a court of law. Both sides ask each party involved some hard questions. INDEPENDENT Witnesses are also closely questioned as to their perceptions of what happened. Not every incident is clear cut and it is only when this evidence is heard without emotion in a court of law that we arrive at the "finding of fact" outcome and justice has to take account of all the facts when deciding on punishent within judicial criteria and statutroy guidelines.
But the obvious remedy - raising the standard by getting COAST out there in small snips within the THINK! messages of good practice
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