Latest pics from Eurobike 2008

@VIPcyclist The State treats cyclists suffering a nearmiss as the witness to an offence, the State being the victim. IMO this is one of the main issues that cyclists need to campaign against Too right! But for 'State' read 'police' ttps://upride.cc/incident/4148vz_travellerschoicecoach_closepass/ The police have fought for 4 1/2 years to prevent me finding out what they did about this incident, after they claimed they were taking action. They're presently fighting against me finding out as a 'victim', and it's presently at the determinedly anti-freedom-of-information Information Commissioner, which is on a go-slow dodge at the moment. It's obvious from the time and expense the police are desperate to expend in denying the information that they did either nothing at all, or sent the joke advice letter for the public service vehicle driver to ignore. My worry was 'what do I do if the police just lie about it?'

@eburtthebike why isn’t Center Parcs installing video cams on all their vehicles, so that next time, there’ll be sufficient evidence? Because, as has been stated several times above, cyclist deaths are not counted as 'real deaths', they are seen as 'you're bound to hit the odd one, can't be helped'. Drivers can't be expected to look at the road ahead all the time, they're too busy with all the other tasks they have to do. We know that the penalty for killing the 'old knacker' (that means: like me) cyclist on the Skipton bypass recently will be a joke suspended sentence at worst.

Droool....looks (and sounds) like a dream bike!

The BBC reports that the colleague who hit Penny Bulpitt was cleared of causing death by careless driving earlier this year because of “insufficient evidence”. Insufficient evidence? A dead body, isn't that sufficient? Instead of telling people to wear helmets, why isn't Center Parcs installing video cams on all their vehicles, so that next time, there'll be sufficient evidence. From the BBC drivel "Stephenson said Center Parcs was open to any other suggestions." but apparently they can't think of any apart from cycle helmets. Words fail me.

As was pointed out in reply to my own erroneous comment yesterday re. mandating helmets, Center Parcs roads count as a 'public place', so road law (inc. RTA) does apply. If it didn't, it's highly unlikely a case would have come to court in the first place. The police not being involved in the carpark case doesn't mean that they *couldn't* have been - it might just be that no-one bothered to report it to them.

@mitsky "If the situation was the same but the victim was simply someone standing still, then this would have been a KSI leading to a 6 or 7 £ figure public/employee liability claim......" No. They'd just recommend pedestrian helmets. "I am usually angered by reports of dangerous drivers facing lenient or non-existent punishments but this is something else." You and me both. Just when you think motornomativity has reached its peak.....

To carry on my argument from yesterday. This is an incident between two employees on private land at their place of work. I'm not sure things like the RTA apply. I think the only potential charge would be manslaughter. At my old company we had Forklift drivers that didn't have a driving license. We had procedures, risk assessments, training etc to allow them operate the FL. There were rules they had to follow if they didn't want to be on a disciplinary. From the Centre Parcs statement I would suggest that their corrective action / risk assessment is to concentrate on training and whilst they are recommending use of helmet their own findings are not saying that this should be mandatory. We of course do not know the outcome of the HSE report (ie were their procedures sufficient/were they fined) or what disciplinary action was taken against the employee. As an aside I knew somebody that knocked over and injured a pedestrian in a supermarket carpark. I know his insurance company massively increased his premiums but I never heard that the police were involved at any stage.

Well probably not the bit when it's being lifted to tip into the truck.

Re : Operation Snap. The State treats cyclists suffering a nearmiss as the witness to an offence, the State being the victim. IMO this is one of the main issues that cyclists need to campaign against. Remember when indecent exposure was seen as a victimless crime ; you'd witnessed bad behaviour. Now I can use this comparison because as a 13 year-old boy living right next to Cliffe Castle Park , in Keighley, I was regularly flashed at . I ran away and was deeply distressed/disturbed by the behaviour witnessed. I'd say I was the victim of a crime but that's not how it was back then (>40 years ago) and that's how it is now for cyclists. Only concerted effort will change things. Let's start a letter writing campaign to our MPs. We could post the answers on the forum. A bet it's already happened.

I will bet money that it is procedure that the bin and bin-person have to stay connected at all times whilst the bin is being moved.