Dangerous drivers are getting away with it

[red marley]

But in the interests of balance, perhaps it was Froome's fault that a driver chased him down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off?

[simonp]

Angling for a job at the BBC, jo?

[Pingu]

...a driver chased him down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off...

Or to use media standard phrasing, 'in collision with a motor vehicle'.

[mattc]

But in the interests of balance, perhaps it was Froome's fault that a driver chased him down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off?

I'm not condoning this driver's actions, but what about all those red light jumping cyclists?

Some cyclists needs to sharpen up their act - or this sort of thing is bound to happen.

Just saying ...

[red marley]

I wasn't there when a driver chased Froome down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off, so couldn't possibly comment. But I would comment that it was probably six of one and half a dozen of the other.

[red marley]

If only we all smiled at each other then that driver wouldn't have chased him down, driven onto the pavement, driven over his bike and then sped off.

[Redlight]

Probably someone who had just had a huge row with Sky over its exorbitant charges and wanted to take revenge.

[sojournermike]

It's in the Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/van-driver-cyclist-bike-video-helmet-cam-vidette-uk-ltd-a7721216.html

A frightening number of commenters think that:-
1) The cyclist should be prosecuted.
2)  It's OK to attack someone on bike because of what he's just done, or even what someone else on a bike did once.

Although the comments are probably by only a few individuals, it's quite staggering that they continue to feel able to articulate these views in public in this day and age. There again, I probably inhabit a small population niche that includes broadly liberal and educated people, some of whom may even be described as progressive, who continue to place some value on other's lives.

The idea that bikes shouldn't be allowed on A roads is the opposite of my view that action should be taken to make said roads safe for cyclists;) To me this means reducing the number of cars (or journeys) and ensuring the infrastructure is appropriate. There again, I'm a bit of a greeny...

[Gattopardo]

I wasn't there when a driver chased Froome down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off, so couldn't possibly comment. But I would comment that it was probably six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Umm what did Froome do?  The bastard...

[Wascally Weasel]

I wasn't there when a driver chased Froome down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off, so couldn't possibly comment. But I would comment that it was probably six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Umm what did Froome do?  The bastard...

1. Won the TdF three times.
2. Is not French.

[Jaded]

3. Got in the way of a bag of wee.

[hellymedic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39868659

[Gattopardo]

I wasn't there when a driver chased Froome down, drove onto the pavement, drove over his bike and then sped off, so couldn't possibly comment. But I would comment that it was probably six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Umm what did Froome do?  The bastard...

1. Won the TdF three times.
2. Is not French.

Car driver only won 2 

[mllePB]

One that didn't get away made the news this evening although with a graphic violence warning on the video

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-39876692

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

If only we all smiled at each other then that driver wouldn't have chased him down, driven onto the pavement, driven over his bike and then sped off.

A woman who deliberately ploughed into a cyclist after being confronted about using her mobile phone behind the wheel has been jailed for three years.

"This was a calculated attempt to run him over and use your car as a weapon," the judge said.
"It would have been obvious that to do so would have carried significant risk of injury."

Henshaw-Bryan, who was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, was also banned from driving for four-and-a-half years.

Had the cyclist merely smiled and carried on, this poor woman, unprovoked, would still be at large and free to drive and use her mobile.  Instead he perpetrated a direct infringement of her individual liberty. 

[Jaded]

He kicked her wing mirror too, and thus deserved being run over.

[hellymedic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-39847070

[hatler]

If only we all smiled at each other then that driver wouldn't have chased him down, driven onto the pavement, driven over his bike and then sped off.

A woman who deliberately ploughed into a cyclist after being confronted about using her mobile phone behind the wheel has been jailed for three years.

"This was a calculated attempt to run him over and use your car as a weapon," the judge said.
"It would have been obvious that to do so would have carried significant risk of injury."

Henshaw-Bryan, who was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, was also banned from driving for four-and-a-half years.

Had the cyclist merely smiled and carried on, this poor woman, unprovoked, would still be at large and free to drive and use her mobile.  Instead he perpetrated a direct infringement of her individual liberty. 

I'm all for calling people out on their mobile phone use whilst driving. If they carry on in their 'no-one can see me' bubble without being challenged they will continue to believe that no-one can see them. That's easier in Summer when their windows are more likely to be open.

[sg37409]

I'm all for calling people out on their mobile phone use whilst driving. If they carry on in their 'no-one can see me' bubble without being challenged they will continue to believe that no-one can see them. That's easier in Summer when their windows are more likely to be open.

I think if you do this,  you have to expect some of them to react like this.  Not saying that phone users shouldn't be called out on it, but if conflict avoidance was the goal, this isn't the way to do it.

[Jon P]

Verdict - "causing serious injury by dangerous driving".  No - that's when you ACCIDENTALLY hurt someone through culpable negligence.  Like I've said before, it's the best way to murder someone and get away with it.  At very least it's "attempted GBH" and at worst "attempted murder".  The idea that anyone who does this can be allowed behind the wheel ever again ... And clearly total scum, given she tried to blame her ex for it.  A well-deserved longer sentence would also mean the kid wouldn't suffer so much from having her as its mother (whatever childcare arrangements in prisons are - Social Services involved?)

[mattc]

I'm all for calling people out on their mobile phone use whilst driving. If they carry on in their 'no-one can see me' bubble without being challenged they will continue to believe that no-one can see them. That's easier in Summer when their windows are more likely to be open.

I think if you do this,  you have to expect some of them to react like this.  Not saying that phone users shouldn't be called out on it, but if conflict avoidance was the goal, this isn't the way to do it.

You're saying that law enforcement sometimes leads to conflict? Wow - who would have guessed...

[hatler]

I'm all for calling people out on their mobile phone use whilst driving. If they carry on in their 'no-one can see me' bubble without being challenged they will continue to believe that no-one can see them. That's easier in Summer when their windows are more likely to be open.

I think if you do this,  you have to expect some of them to react like this.  Not saying that phone users shouldn't be called out on it, but if conflict avoidance was the goal, this isn't the way to do it.

I do expect push-back, and I generally get it. But I'm polite, persistent and not aggressive about it. If they choose to escalate, I leave.

[andrew_s]

At very least it's "attempted GBH"

Since the bloke spent 3 days in intensive care, I should say that there's nothing "attempted" about it.

[Ham]

I'm all for calling people out on their mobile phone use whilst driving. If they carry on in their 'no-one can see me' bubble without being challenged they will continue to believe that no-one can see them. That's easier in Summer when their windows are more likely to be open.

I think if you do this,  you have to expect some of them to react like this.  Not saying that phone users shouldn't be called out on it, but if conflict avoidance was the goal, this isn't the way to do it.

You're saying that law enforcement sometimes leads to conflict? Wow - who would have guessed...

Law compliance is the responsibility of the individual, law enforcement is not.

[Guy]

Many decent, reasonable people would regard having their precious car damaged in such a fashion as "provocative", to say the least.

What that stupid woman did with her car was utterly wrong, and she has been prosecuted for it. Is it really the duty of a passing cyclist to mete out punishment to law-breaking motorists? Should that punishment (if it is the random passer-by's job) be to deliberately damage the offender's car?

I would answer "no" to both of those questions. She broke the law by using her phone while driving. He broke the law by damaging her car. She compounded her offence by chasing him and running him down. But. Would she have done so if he hadn't damaged her precious car as a punishment for committing an offence which wasn't actually affecting him in any way? Most probably not.

Hopefully Ms Henshaw-Bryan will learn something from this and behave a bit better when next out on the road, sometime next decade. Equally hopefully, Mr Doughty has learned something from this and won't behave like such a dick in future.

It is a tale of two idiots. A plague on both their houses!