how's this for a defence argument?!?!?!

[RooiWillie]

 

What a stupid title - "woman driver..."  As if that has anything to do with it.

 

Well, the facts state that it is a woman who drove the car...

 

My views: 1. If you drive either a sports vehicle, SUV or large Vehicle such as a 3 ton truck, you need to get some kind of advanced driving training specific to your vehicle.

2. If you "faint" and cause an accident, your licence should be withdrawn with immediate effect until such time that a medical screening proves you are fit to drive.

3. So much more reason for you and your children to wear helmets when you cycle, even though a helmet would not prevent serious damage from an impact such as this accident - it could still save your life...

 

Remember, we have more idiots on our roads than the UK, with some drivers admitting on 94.7 that they have either bought their licenses or they just drive without one. Take that, taxis, people on cellphones and generally everybody that is irritated and tired - and you have the perfect mix for a whole lot of pain and death to follow. Essentially, you need to choose the roads that you cycle on with care and you need to keep your eyes open!

 

Otherwise...

 

[firewolf]

watched the high life DVD last week (Robert Miller)  in which they show them on a training ride on these narrow, car free lanes that seem to criscross the countryside in the UK region.  Man those lanes look good! 

[Wayne Potgieter]

For those that cant get the story cos of firewall issues.

 

 

 

A motorist who mowed down and killed a cyclist walked free yesterday after a court heard she may have fainted at the wheel.

 

Tracy Johnson, 35, was driving her ?60,000 Range Rover Sport when she ploughed into Sharon Corless, a mother of three.

 

Mrs Corless, 43, who was cycling with her husband, was dragged under the wheels of the car and suffered horrendous injuries.

 

The runaway Range Rover continued over a roundabout without braking or altering its course, smashed into a car and finally came to a halt after hitting a lamp post.

 

Mrs Johnson stumbled out of her car in a 'shocked and dazed' condition and said: 'What's happened?'

 

An investigation found she had made a 40-second mobile phone call to her husband three minutes before the crash, but there was no evidence she made a call at the time of the collision.

 

She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and pleaded not guilty at a hearing last year.

 

In a dramatic turnaround at a pre-trial hearing yesterday Mrs Johnson sobbed as the case against her was dropped after the judge heard she had probably suffered a reflex syncope or faint.

 

A reflex syncope is the medical term for a blackout or faint caused by a sudden lack of blood supply to the brain.

 

In a variety of situations the heart rate can slow and the body's blood vessels dilate which means less blood gets to the brain resulting in fainting.

 

It is a common condition and occurs in roughly half of all individuals during their lives.

 

Last night Mrs Corless's husband Peter said he was 'mystified and bewildered' by the explanation and disappointed the case had not gone to trial.

 

 

 

Perfect mother: Sharon Corless was cycling with her husband, Peter, when she was hit and killed by Tracy Johnson in her Range Rover

 

Mr Corless, 47, who suffered serious injuries in the accident, said: 'Our lives have been turned upside down but at least the prosecution would have meant a judge and jury hearing the evidence as to what happened and ultimately some justice for Sharon.

 

'Now that won't happen and until I receive a proper explanation of the supposed "medical condition" that caused Tracy Johnson to hit us, I remain bitterly disappointed that the prosecution has been dropped.'

 

Enlarge

 

Family agony: Peter Corless leaves court with his daughters Megan, left, and Olivia after hearing that Tracy Johnson had avoided prosecution

 

Mrs Johnson, of Fearnhead, Warrington, had faced a maximum 14 years in jail if convicted. Chester Crown Court was told the tragedy happened in September 2008 as Mrs Corless, a support worker at Warrington Hospital, cycled up to a roundabout in the town just behind her husband.

 

David Potter, prosecuting, said: 'For reasons that defy a reasonable explanation, the defendant's vehicle began to accelerate towards the roundabout.

 

'Witnesses behind the vehicle said at no stage did they see brake lights come on.

 

'Consultant cardiologist Dr Adam Fitzpatrick produced a report in which he said she was likely to have suffered an abrupt episode of syncope at the wheel.

 

'He took the view that on the balance of probability Tracy Johnson was not in conscious control of the vehicle.'

 

No suggestion was made at court yesterday that she had fallen asleep at the wheel.

 

Enlarge

 

Lethal weapon: Johnson was driving her luxury Range Rover Sport when she crashed into the couple

 

Mr Potter said the decision not to proceed to trial was 'heart-rending but ultimately right'.

 

Dismissing the charge, Judge Elgan Edwards said: 'This was a tragedy for all concerned.'

 

Mr Corless, from Warrington, who has a son Tom, 13, and daughters Olivia, 19, and Megan, 22, suffered serious leg, pelvic, back and head injuries and is still unable to return to work in the steel trade.

 

He said: 'To say we are devastated by Sharon's death is an understatement. She was the focal point of the family, a fabulous wife and wonderful mum.'

 

 

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242362/Woman-driver-killed-cyclist-mother-freed-fainting-wheel.html#ixzz0cNm3wvSo

[firewolf]

we need dedicated, seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?

[RooiWillie]

 

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']

 

I agree...

 

 

 

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

 

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']I agree...

 

 

 

To be fair, this happened in the UK, where they do have bike lanes.

 

 

 

But in this case, assuming this women did faint, Bikelanes wont help, she will just ride straight into them anyways.

 

 

 

I am not taking her side, but rather pointing out that a bike lane would not have helped here.

 

 

 

Wayne_Potgieter2010-01-12 03:39:20

[GoLefty!!]

I don;t buy her excuse.

 

Sound to me like the type of excuse a clever lawyer paid by wealthy people will dream up to keep his client out of jail.

 

the woman is a murderer and she should be behind bars. Hers tears outiside the court house are tears of guilt.

 

She has to live with herself from here on.

 

She would nver have got away with that defence on the mainland where she woul;d be assumed to be liable and the onus would be upon her to prove she blacked out.

In the UK, (Like SA) her word is taken.

 

Don;t be surprised to find more drivers using this excuse in SA. Our moral fibre is already micron thin

[RooiWillie]

 

 

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']I agree...

 

 

 

To be fair, this happened in the UK, where they do have bike lanes.

 

 

 

But in this case, assuming this women did faint, Bikelanes wont help, she will just ride straight into them anyways.

 

 

 

I am not taking her side, but rather pointing out that a bike lane would not have helped here.

 

 

 

 

Once again, facts don't lie, so I would like to agree again!

 

[X-Gear]

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']

I agree...

Okay, so we agree on this. What is that changing or is different from yesterday and the day before?

 

Question is, what are we doing, or going to do, about it? How are we going to get the municipalities to even consider such a suggestion? Where will the funds come from to build these lane, not even thinking of the current infrastructure and roads being neglected. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I WANT BIKE LANES AS WELL, but we need action and a solution, and I don't have any

 

Suggestions are welcome if you are willing to act on it as well.

[GoLefty!!]

I lived in that part of the Uk, in fact in Chester so I know the Warrington area (closer to MAnchester ) quite well.

 

the roads are narrow and there are few pavements. Lots of hedges and blind rises, not really a place for a big SUV yet they more common up there than in London.

 

There is also not many cycle paths or lanes in that area. Some main roads have cycle lanes but they are narrow and often overgrown with grass or weeds. then they tend through a bus stop right in the middle of the cycle path. Its also the wealthiest county in the whole of the UK.

 

And the driving is pretty bad too.

 

Often on our sunday morning club rides we would have little incidents with cars and mostly SUVs trying to negotiate the narrow lanes faster than the 30 or 50mph speed limit on those roads.

 

Understanding the social politics in that region I can understand why th case did not go to court. Woman driver only killed a commoner and it simply would not be proper to ruin the life a well heeled member of upper class society with a court case.

That area of the UK still avocates Fox hunting btw, a pretty barbaric practice if you've ever had the misfortune of witnessing such an event.

 

that someones death can be dismissed on the probable chance that the driver might have feinted smacks of an upper class cover up.

[GoLefty!!]

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']

I agree...

Okay, so we agree on this. What is that changing or is different from yesterday and the day before?

 

Question is, what are we doing, or going to do, about it? How are we going to get the municipalities to even consider such a suggestion? Where will the funds come from to build these lane, not even thinking of the current infrastructure and roads being neglected. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I WANT BIKE LANES AS WELL, but we need action and a solution, and I don't have any

 

Suggestions are welcome if you are willing to act on it as well.

 

 

Bike lanes are not the answer.

 

Liabilty for any accident between a motorist and a cyclist or pedestrian must be shifted to the motorist on all roads bar freeways. It is the only way the law will be able to be enforced and a change of driver behaviours will come about.

 

Change the law, thats the first step. Its far cheaper

[X-Gear]

we need dedicated' date=' seperated, bike lanes. How many deaths is this going to take?[/quote']

I agree...

Okay, so we agree on this. What is that changing or is different from yesterday and the day before?

 

Question is, what are we doing, or going to do, about it? How are we going to get the municipalities to even consider such a suggestion? Where will the funds come from to build these lane, not even thinking of the current infrastructure and roads being neglected. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I WANT BIKE LANES AS WELL, but we need action and a solution, and I don't have any

 

Suggestions are welcome if you are willing to act on it as well.

 

 

Bike lanes are not the answer.

 

Liabilty for any accident between a motorist and a cyclist or pedestrian must be shifted to the motorist on all roads bar freeways. It is the only way the law will be able to be enforced and a change of driver behaviours will come about.

 

Change the law, thats the first step. Its far cheaper

Change the law sounds simple.  How do wedo it?  

 

Getting the LAW amended in my profession took over 4 years (which was apparently very quick) and this is still no guarantee that the new law is properly enforced.

[GoLefty!!]

buildig bike lanes in sufficient quantity takes longer and there no guaranee that motorists won;t use it as a parking, turning, or taxi fare pick up lane.

 

First we protect people with the law, then we put in the infrastructure. Need to change behaviours first?

[idrive]

Seeing as though she has a recorded fainting episode, I assume she was banned from holding a licence.

There is a car like mine in Bethal (well it was caught speeding there) and the stupid cops want me to prove I wasn't there. Only I know I wasn't there and I sure as hell don't know where I was at 11:17 on the 5th of August.

[GoLefty!!]

then the law assumes you were there.

 

 

Getting the law changed.

 

well thats requires some work from the bodies that represent cycling.

 

It requires petitions from cycling clubs to the politicians who oversee their area and making it an agenda. " asort of trade where we will vote for you if you do this for us....

 

By Laws are the quicest way to get a change through, national legislation can then change more swiftly.

 

 

 

[MadScientist]

Only I know I wasn't there and I sure as hell don't know where I was at 11:17 on the 5th of August.

 

Giving the time and date (depending on your profession) it would be a safe bet that you most probably were in the office. given your hub posts you weren't in the office or at least at your pc as you made a post just before 6am and then again just after 9pm. But this doesn't prove much as you could have been in a meeting all day and if you are in sales you could have been out in the market.

 

If you are in sales and you do keep a log book of you travels or a call report it shouldn't be to hard to prove where you were on the day in question

 

/hijack off