[David9694]

So, someone on a bike has died – you were driving, you know you had something to do with it.  I wonder how long down the line it is before “the court acquitted me” starts to wear a bit thin in your mind.  

Better  to be up-front about what happened, surely? Better for the poor person’s family, less court time used, and might be even be better for you in the longer term?

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[AlsoSomniloquism]

ktache wrote:

33 years cycle commuting.  I do get hit less now that I realise how unbelievable incompetent and awful many drivers really are.

Within 6 week of cycling again in 2017, I was taken off at a roundabout as the driver pulled out without looking. That experence has meant the 15 close incidents since have just been that and nothing worse as my expectations have been raised (lowered?) more because of it. 

[AlsoSomniloquism]

I suspect because the human

I suspect because the human brain does lots of things. 

About 6 years ago a work colleague had recently passed his test (in his 30’s) and was driving his car into work. He was less then a quarter of a mile away waiting to turn right at some lights. He “saw a gap” after a van and pulled right across a cyclists path who went over his bonnet. (Luckily minor injuries for the cyclist)

I got asked to go and bring the colleague into work as he was in shock and distraught and placed him in a quiet room until the Mental Heath First Aider could help and take him home. 

Within a year, any mention for this and the reply is that the cyclist was going too fast etc even when you point out the colleague pulled across another vehicles path. 

I expect the fact he got done with a careless driving charge AND an insurance claim might have had a factor in his change of heart but I also think it is one of those ways a mind can cope when healing itself as well.

[hawkinspeter]

Personally, I don’t

Personally, I don’t understand why they don’t just voluntarily give in their license and never drive again. I can relate to not wanting to get hammered by the court, but pleading guilty to careless driving (as dangerous driving is so rarely successfully used) would surely reduce the sentence and so would be a good gambit.

Personally I’ve never learnt to drive, but that’s mainly circumstantial and I’ve never had a compelling reason to put effort into getting a license. However, I suspect that in my younger days I might well have been an aggressive driver if I had bothered, so it’s probably best that I’ve self limited how much carnage I can cause.

[ktache]

The guilt would destroy me.

The guilt would destroy me.

I had been hit so many times that I never, ever wanted to be that person, so I never learned to drive.

I make mistakes, get carried away, let my mind wander.  Best not to do that when piloting a tonne or more of metal.

33 years cycle commuting.  I do get hit less now that I realise how unbelievable incompetent and awful many drivers really are.

[Author]

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