Driver says she didn't see cyclist she killed

Would she see my hand coming in front and slapping on the forehead?

Let's hope that a long prison sentence for the driver- killer is just one of those things!

thankfully it looks as though Ms Hart is looking at a prison sentence
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=479743

I know that 2-5 years doesn't sound like much for taking someones life but in 2006 a rider 30 secs up the road from me in a time trial was hit from behind by a 7.5 tonne lorry, he died in the ambulance on the way from the scene due to serious head injuries - I went to the inquest as I was the first rider on the scene, verdict - accidental. At least Ms Hart is being held accountable for her actions.

Being a member of a time trialling forum where a lot of members knew Gareth and were actually racing that morning & combined with my past experience this story has had a big effect on me, I can only offer my condolences to the family and hope this outcome goes a small way to helping them rebuild their lives.

(p.s. I see there have been a lot of discussion about mobile phones in this thread, there is no evidence to suggest that this was a factor in the case)

My heart goes out to the family - this is a truly tragic case.

Sadly, cycling in London, you see this kind of selfish, cocooned and oblivious driving attitude every single day. I've lost count of the number of drivers whose windows I've knocked on to tell them to get off their goddam mobile.

Saying cyclists are already protected enough by the Highway Code is the equivalent of saying "you're on your own".

How about raising the minimum driving age to 21? I know when I passed my test at 17 I was a frighteningly bad driver. It takes years of motoring to be able to anticipate what other road users might do - to properly observe the road ahead.

And finally, why are car manufacturers so obsessed with turning cars into entertainment centres. There are just too many gadgets, controls and distractions these days - not that that's any kind of an excuse for ploughing someone down, because you just weren't properly in command of a lethal weapon.

Words fail me ... I simply cannot understand the way the "justice" system deals with these sorts of divers.
I agree that driving a car is a privilege, and if someone fails to maintain the standards required then that privilege should be withdrawn.
I also agree that CS would be a great idea. We all see litter and rubbish carelessly disposed of as we cycle around, and to put miscreants to good use would benefit everyone. Perhaps they should also help young people with road safety lessons!

Completely agree on the lifetime driving ban. If, as per johnnymcg259's post, you 'need' your license to drive for your job; then tough luck. Get another job. If a Doctor is incompetent at their job then they get struck off. If an Accountant is incompetent then they can't practice. If a 'professional' driver kills someone then that's okay.... Doesn't make sense.

Driving is a licensed privilege.

Surely it should be death by dangerous driving? Not seeing one rider is hard to fathom but she passed at least two (a lot of open TT's have warning signs up as well). We don't know if she was on a mobile, she could have been doing her lipstick, fiddling with a CD or MP3 player or just not paying attention. To me it doesn't matter - she has killed someone through negligence - prison and life time driving ban.

A friend of mine was killed at a time trial in 1997 by a van coming onto the main carriage way from a slip road. Father of 3 killed due to bad bad driving. The driver kept their liberty and their driving license as he 'needed the van/license as it was his main means of making a living'. Words failed me at the time! I lost the love for the bike for a while following that incident.
I've been hit twice in 25 years of cycling and been lucky enough to get up, walk away and tell the tale. Others are not so lucky.
I often commute by bike to work and the amount of drivers observed on mobiles while driving beggars belief. If we can make it as socially unacceptable as say
drink driving then only at that point will it stop.......could take a while sadly.

What's wrong with a lifetime driving ban? Driving should be seen as a privilege, not a right. It is perfectly possible to live without a car.

A defendant comment amounting to "shit happens" helps no-one, but would prison really be a good idea?

I'd suggest a 5 year driving ban + retest + 100s of hours of community service wearing really hideous uniform.

How about a compulsory no.1 haircut every month? Like Britney Spears

Not sure what form the CS should take but it should be some form of genuine hard work, not stuffing envelopes. Hedge maintenance, litter-picking etc.

A tragic case to read on the same day that the Government issued a response to state that there was no need for the 3 feet 2 pass rule in the UK because "cyclists are already protected by the current Highway Code."

Surely time for the Government to do a rethink?

deserves to be locked up, if this sort of incident "is just one of those things" then how many more will she do it to? Not a care or clue in the world, terrifying.

Well if the driver wasn't chatting on her cellphone this suggests her concentration was elsewhere. Distracted driving is an issue the US authorities are taking seriously just now.

So "It was just one of those things" that she mowed down a father of two. I'm curious how she feels about this now.

She was behind the cycle according to the witness - how could he "come out of nowhere"?