Drug driver who killed teenage cyclist while speeding at 70mph in 30mph zone jailed for eight years

eburtthebike wrote:

I read a report last week which said that in most police force areas, drivers had exceeded 100mph in 30mph zones, so the problem of illegal, extremely dangerous speeds is widespread.  How do we make it socially unacceptable?

I'd hope that very few people would think driving at double the speed limit was acceptable. There's some research around on attitudes to speeding, including this:

Quote:

Speeding is considered acceptable by 50 per cent of drivers ... the average breaches that motorists consider acceptable include driving at 79mph in a 70mph zone, 56mph in a 50mph zone, and 26 mph in a 20mph zone

I saw the following data for a local to me Speed Indicator Device (roadside sign that lights up to show vehicle speed) in a 30mph zone:

Speed     Number of Vehicles

35-39      1743

40-44      172

45-49      24

50+         2

The council have written to the police asking them to enforce the law, the police have replied saying they don't have the resources for that...

That being the case the council can redesign the roads to slow cars down. Unfortunately, I think, that many highways departments still think in terms of efficient throughput. If drivers, however, can't stick to speed limits this approach must change.

IanMK wrote:

Unfortunately, I think, that many highways departments still think in terms of efficient throughput. If drivers, however, can't stick to speed limits this approach must change.

I believe some of the key metrics are written in these terms.  So it may be that very little that's effective can be done in terms of safety or provision for active travel without changing those.  The recommendation will come back "not value for money, do not proceed" as scores for "reduces journey times" (for motor traffic) or "maintains or increases capacity" (for motor traffic) will be negative!

(I'd argue at some point we will need to make a clear positive choice.  In this - the "but my rights to drive" doomsters are correct - if we want more active travel, better public transport, nicer places, better health etc. we absolutely do need to deliberately reduce capacity and convenience for driving.)

IanMK wrote:

That being the case the council can redesign the roads to slow cars down. Unfortunately, I think, that many highways departments still think in terms of efficient throughput. If drivers, however, can't stick to speed limits this approach must change.

The road in question does have some mild traffic calming. I dread to think what the speeding figures would look like if it didn't have that.

Traffic calming that makes it more dangerous for cyclists.

Which is why I advocate, when we have things like this committing such heinous crimes as the repurcusiions are currently not enough to make them think twice, that they should face the possibility of losing their libido and taste buds.

Perhaps I'm being overly cynical, but I wonder if the age of the victim was a factor in the sentencing - seen as 'a kid on a bike' rather than 'a cyclist'.

I'm tending to being more cynical as most of these cases have the driver being over the limit with drugs and booze. Part of me feels that if these were not a factor then the sentencing would be lighter. 

While custodial sentences for me are not so much of an issue except in serious incidents. I would like to see the maximum driving bans being issued more regularly and a lifetime ban for collisions resulting in death. Also would like to see the extenuating circumstances being scrapped. 

But with funding to actually make getting caught a remote possibility, and some serious sanctions if you do.  (...but ultimately probably needs a generation or so of campaigns promoting the idea that friends don't let friends drive without a licence / while banned - which may not have the obvious benefit that "don't let them drive drunk" has).

From the article.

Quote:

Emergency services attended the scene and rushed Jayden to hospital for treatment but he died two days later on September 29. Elsender initially fled the scene but returned "shortly afterwards" and contacted the police.

Looks like a hit and run as well depending on how soon "shortly afterwards" was. If it was it should be a lifetime ban.

Given he got the minimum for culpability/harm I don't see it that way.