Sad for everyone this one...

[G]

Strange ones, I dont know what to think to be honest.

When you consider what some people get away with because 'the jails are to full'

Its an odd one.

I think it highlights that the older aged should be tested on a more regular basis on their ability to handle a vehicle, yes young people perform stupid Uturns too but from experience old people are a serious liability on the road.

Only yesterday I was stuck behind an old guy in a Maestro who pulled away from the lights up to a speed of........15mph in a 40, I followed him for 1 mile at which point he swung a right into a side road, without indicating whilst actually going over a small island with one of those uplight bollards on.

tricky one

she did not mean to kill or even hurt anyone, doing a U-turn on an A road sounds a bit dangerous (but not knowing the road cant comment).
also with what some pedo's and other scum seem to get away with seems a bit harsh, but at the end of the day she has killed sombody.

as pete says she should Disqualified for life.

[21QUEST]

About to shoot off but just wanted to say, I don't entirely agree with being disqualified for life.


Ben

Originally Posted by BluePete

Now, without being controversial, many of those have done nothing "wrong" (ie, crashes, killing someone). Often the only reason they are stopped is because of a "feeling" I get.

Yep. Most people have, even if it's only unwittingly and by a small amount, driven over the limit at one time or another. The vast majority "get away" with it, both in terms of not being caught and not having any lasting consequence (IE not pranging their car, etc.). On the one hand, it seems odd that people get banged up for "only" being over the limit, when they are driving fine, yet people who do something ****-witted and take someone's life, escape jail (like that female doctor who killed that biker). On the other hand, what does jail really do? Makes the victim's family a bit happier, but if the accident was caused by negligence rather than out and out idiocy (racing through town at 100+) it seems a bit wrong to me. People make mistakes every day on the road, us included and 99.99%+ of the time, there is no consequence. We do need to recognise that statistically speaking though, someone who makes a mistake that results in an accident is likely to have had it happen because they make mistakes a lot. How do we make sure their inability to control their vehicles doesn't hurt anyone else?

I think the answer is quite simple:

Originally Posted by BluePete

Disqualified for life.

I'd also like to see the introduction of 6 month bans for people who are 100% "at fault" in an accident involving another party. Far too many who have FC insurance and protected NCBs walk away from an accident they have with absolutely no lasting negative consequence, so of course they aren't going to change their habits.

...disqualified for life is too much IMO, but people should have to take an extended test.

I believe that prison is appropriate. The fact is that however unintentionally this lady has killed somebody. And, as Mogs says, she has to accept the consequences.

What is unfair is that there is so much inconsistency. The doctor referred to above is a good example. Was she any less culpable? I don't think so.

[timwilky]

Jailing her will not bring back the victim of her crime. But, jail wont bring back the victim of anyone's crime. Therefore why bother jailing the Wests, Brady, Hindley, Huntley et al.

Simple we do it because society demands those that transgress its laws should be punished. And that is what this lady did. she was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced accordingly.

This day and age 61 is not a great old age. I do not see the age of the woman in question any justification for changing sentencing policy. She is no frail old geriatric.

She made a decision to make a manoeuvre that had tragic consequences for a 3rd party. She has to live with this. But at the same time the message must be sent out by the courts that unacceptable standards of driving will be punished.

With the current policy of early release and home tagging etc. I doubt that she would serve more than 6 months anyway.


I think most of us have at one time or another made a mistake and got away with it. Hopefully we recognise the mistake and wont repeat it. However, there must have been sufficient evidence that the standard of this woman's driving was unacceptably poor to warrant prosecution. And from up here on my high horse where it is only my opinion that matters I would perhaps take a slightly different approach as to her driving ban.

Originally Posted by BluePete

Disqualified for life.

Whilst I understand the reasoning behind this. I believe a blanket life ban on all convicted dangerous drivers would not work, In your job Pete. I bet you have come across many banned drivers who continue to drive, safe in knowledge that there is little you can do short of locking them up to stop them.

I would therefore encourage anyone with a serious driving offence & subsequent ban to come back to the road following a rigorous driver training programme and extended test. At least that way, they have a goal to return legally to the road.

[Bluepete]

I understand the difficulty people have with disqualified for life. My reasons for it are that by the very fact that someone kills a person by driving dangerously, means that they exhibited a standard of driving far below par.
There will have to have been an element if "sod it, I'm going for it" in their actions with scant regard for others safety for that prosecution to be brought.
People do not tend to suddenly become a poor driver overnight and go out and kill. All an extended re-test would achieve would be a driving instructor earning more money to get the client up to a pass standard. The driver would still have the same mind set behind the wheel. I think it would be very hard to change the way a person drives in all circumstances just by training them to pass a test.
Some people just shouldn't be allowed to drive. Full stop. The test is easy, we all see incompetent drivers every day who have passed the current test. There was a thread about a Celica driver on here somewhere who nearly kills every day. He may manage it one day, and be out driving again in a few years.
Why should we share the roads with people who are unable to control a car or make safe and reasoned decisions?

Tims response went on whilst I was typing!

[Bluepete]

Originally Posted by timwilky

In your job Pete. I bet you have come across many banned drivers who continue to drive, safe in knowledge that there is little you can do short of locking them up to stop them.

Oh, one or two! And guess what? The often get a prison sentence! Six months is very common.

Originally Posted by BluePete

The driver would still have the same mind set behind the wheel.

As it seems that the doctor who killed the biker, and the lady who's the subject of this thread are/were both extremely remorseful, I'd bet a substatial sum of money that they will most definately not have the same mindset if/when they get back behind the wheel.

As already said by several:

It's a punishment! through her actions she killed someone - simple as....

Also driving is not a right! It is a privelidge! If you cannot operate to a standard then you should not be behind either a wheel or the bars of your bike.
I have to resit my chainsaw licence every 5 years because it is a dangerous tool - not nearly half as dangerous as a car or bike though.
Yes, I feel sory for her, but she still has a debt to pay. If she doesn't like the debt, she shouls stay out of the car. I refuse to see this from an emotional point of view.