High-risk driver

Suspended sentence for van driver who hit cyclist and drove off (31/7/12)

in

A van driver knocked a cyclist off his bike and did not go back to help out the injured rider, a court heard.

Report URLs: 

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Suspended-sentence-for-van-driver-who-h…

CTC's view: 

The driver here was subsequently banned from driving for 4 years, yet for seriously injuring this cyclist he only received 10 points and a tiny (£140) fine.

It is amazing that the courts fail to deal properly with drivers who are obviously dangerous – in this case he had two very serious injuries within weeks or months of one another, yet still they suspend the sentence.

Taxi driver faces jail after being found guilty of killing pensioner on crossing (13/12/10)

in

A taxi driver dubbed “an amber gambler” killed a Plymouth pensioner on a pedestrian crossing, a jury has ruled.

Report URLs: 

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Taxi-driver-faces-jail-guilty-killing-pe…

CTC's view: 

Note that he had previously been found speeding at 74 mph in a 50 mph zone and he didn’t lose his licence – it is surely in part because of the failure to strictly enforce these sorts of infringements that allows dangerous drivers like this to remain on the roads.

Driver, aged 17, who killed Rob Jefferies pleads guilty to causing death by careless driving; receives fine (26/5/11)

in

Rob Jefferies, 43, a renowned cyclist and ex-employee of British Cycling, was killed when the driver of a Renault Clio, a boy aged 17, hit him on the A351 near Wareham, Dorset.

Report URLs: 

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/bc20111214-about-bc-news-…

Report URLs: 

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9064294.Tribute_to_cyclist_Rob_Jef…

Report URLs: 

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9470538.Student_admits_blame_for_c…

CTC's view: 

Again and again – the same circumstances: driver pleads guilty on ‘causing death by careless driving’. As predicted, he received a short (18 month) driving ban and a couple of hundred hours community service. A completely inadequate punishment for behaviour that the police and prosecutors agree was illegal and led to the death of another road user.

Cases like this question the legitimacy of keeping the driving age at 17 (at least for males).

Cyclist dies in tragic crash near Doncaster (8/9/11)

in

The death of young cyclist on a country road which has seen several fatal accidents is today being investigated by traffic police.

Report URLs: 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/cyclist_dies_in_tragic_crash_1_3761221

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