On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 06:46:14 -0000, boulder wrote:

as the outcomes are so unequal, I doubt that motorists will. Motorists
are likely to just note that the initial cause of the accident was the
action of the cyclist.

But as a motorist, and a cyclist....that must be most of us
surely???.....they would be correct in blaming the
cyclist IMHO.

When I saw it on the news last night, I was amazed the girl had been treated
so harshly...her
crime was using a mobile whilst driving....3 points and 60 quid fine.

Well she was speeding as well. She has also received 3 FPNs for
speeding, two of them on the road leading up to the junction. I think
that because it was a text message the judge is treating the whole thing
more seriously than a phone call as well.

She may not have hit the
cyclist had she not been texting, but surely you cant ignore, completely,
the law breaking cyclist....had he stopped, as he should, he's still alive.

Actually he did stop before going through the red - presumably because
the junction and approach roads were clear. Still wrong but not quite
as reckless as you paint.


I also find it disappointing that the Times article on this mentioned
the fact that the cyclist wasn't wearing a helmet.

--
Andy Leighton =
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_